Airbnb says it will provide housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees around the world for free

Airbnb says it will provide housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees around the world for free. The refugees will be staying in properties listed on the company’s website.

The stays are funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s CEO and co-founder, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, according to the company.

“As tens of thousands of Afghan refugees resettle around the world, where they stay will be the first chapter in their new lives,” Chesky said in a news release Tuesday. “For these 20,000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide them with not only a safe place to rest and start over, but also a warm welcome home.”

Last week, Airbnb.org gave emergency funding along with support to the International Rescue Committee, HIAS and Church World Service to provide immediate temporary stays through the Airbnb platform for up to 1,000 arriving Afghan refugees.

Over the weekend, the company worked with several partners to place 165 refugees in housing shortly after they arrived in the United States.

“As the IRC helps to welcome and resettle Afghans in the U.S., accessible housing is urgently needed and essential,” said David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.

Within the last four years, both Airbnb and Airbnb.org have provided roughly 25,000 refugees with temporary housing. In June, Airbnb.org announced plans for a $25 million refugee fund to expand its support of refugees and asylum-seekers further worldwide.

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto www.npr.org