Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by Airbnb. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
As hurricane season intensifies and extreme weather events become more frequent, a nonprofit is working to make sure displaced families have a place to stay.
Airbnb.org, a nonprofit founded by Airbnb, connects people to free emergency housing when disaster strikes. Since 2020, the organization has provided 1.6 million nights of free emergency housing globally, including more than 40,000 free nights of stays in Florida alone over the past five years.
"The intensity, the frequency of disasters is just increasing with time," Christoph Gorder, executive director of Airbnb.org, said.
"The good news is we're better prepared than ever. The forecasting models are better than ever. The communication systems are better than ever."
When a disaster occurs, Airbnb.org partners with local nonprofits to identify families in need. The organization then transfers Airbnb credits directly into those individuals' accounts, allowing them to book whatever listing fits their needs, whether that means a wheelchair-accessible space or a location close to their job.
"We can move the technology that allows us to move really fast and help a lot of people," Gorder said.
The organization's most recent major response in Florida came during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Gorder said the model allows the organization to respond both locally and globally at the same time, noting that Airbnb.org is currently working in Venezuela.
Florida Airbnb hosts can get involved by offering a discount on their listings during disaster responses, which stretches donated dollars further. Hosts can also contribute a percentage of their monthly payouts as a donation. For those who want to support directly, Gorder said 100% of individual donations go to families in need.
"Any donation you make, 100% of that goes directly to a family in need to be able to house them in difficult times," Gorder said. "And those can be close to home in Florida, and those can be far away across the world."
More information and resources are available at Airbnb.org.
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