Key Takeaways

  • Airbnb.org is providing free, temporary housing for people who have been displaced by Hurricane Helene in several US states.
  • The organization has partnered with local nonprofits and 211 contact centers in Florida and North Carolina to connect people with a free place to stay.

To support residents who have been displaced from their homes by Hurricane Helene, Airbnb.org is working with the Florida United Methodist Conference (FLUMC) and 211 contact centers in Florida and North Carolina to offer free, temporary housing. Stays are completely free for guests and are funded by Airbnb.org and the generosity of Airbnb hosts—many of whom offer their home for free or at a discount through Airbnb.org.

How it works

FLUMC and local 211 contact centers will identify residents in need of temporary housing and help connect them to Airbnb.org stays. They are specifically focused on residents who have either lost their home or been forced to evacuate due to the hurricane. Impacted residents can request assistance for temporary housing support from Airbnb.org in the following ways:

  • Florida: Florida residents displaced by the hurricane should contact FLUMC by calling (863) 688-5563 or (800) 282-8011 (toll-free) or by contacting their local 211, which they can find at 211.org.
  • North Carolina: North Carolina residents displaced by the hurricane should contact their local 211 contact center.

Airbnb.org works with local organizations to help identify those in greatest need of temporary housing and may expand support to other areas affected by Hurricane Helene. We will update this page with more information accordingly.

With thousands of people impacted by Hurricane Helene, we need all the help we can get to keep our community safe. We are incredibly grateful to Airbnb.org for stepping up to provide temporary housing support and collaborating with other local organizations to ensure our residents have a safe place to stay during this challenging time. Tori Greer, Florida 211 Network

It has been incredibly challenging to find safe accommodations for people displaced by the storm. I’m inspired by my fellow Airbnb hosts who immediately stepped up to support relief efforts and welcome families into their homes through Airbnb.org, which waives all fees associated with Airbnb bookings. Airbnb.org is a powerful way for hosts like myself to better serve our communities when disasters like Hurricane Helene strike. Danielle, Airbnb host in Tampa, Florida

An independent nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with free, temporary housing in times of crisis, Airbnb.org has provided more than 1.6 million nights of emergency stays for approximately 240,000 people. Airbnb.org uses the Airbnb platform and hosts—as well as a global network of nonprofit partners—to quickly connect people who need a place to stay with Airbnb hosts who open their homes for free or at a discount. Earlier this year, Airbnb.org offered free, temporary housing to people displaced by wildfires in San Bernardino, California and Jasper, Canada, Hurricane Beryl in Houston, floods in Brazil, and the earthquake in Japan’s Noto Peninsula.

Note: Airbnb.org does not offer housing directly to individuals at this time. Airbnb.org stays for people impacted by Hurricane Helene will be coordinated by FLUMC or local 211 contact centers.

How to help

Those interested in offering free or discounted stays to people impacted by the hurricane can visit Airbnb.org for more information on how to sign up to host. Airbnb waives all service fees for Airbnb.org hosts and guests. Hosts who sign up to share their home through Airbnb.org receive damage protection and liability insurance with AirCover for each booking.

You can also support people impacted by Hurricane Helene by donating to Airbnb.org. 100 percent of donations go toward covering the cost of temporary stays for this response and other crises.

Impacted Airbnb hosts and guests

To further support communities impacted by the hurricane, Airbnb has activated its Major Disruptive Events Policy for severely impacted areas of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This means hosts can cancel eligible stays in these areas without consequences, and guests who have an eligible booking in these areas can cancel for a refund. Hosts and guests can see eligible bookings on their Airbnb account via their Trips page. Airbnb’s customer support team is also available to help with any questions.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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