Did You Know? Every Home You Book With Airbnb Will Help Provide Free Temporary Housing for People in Crisis

Your staycation can help someone in need.
by Meryl Medel | November 05, 2026

What if your simple staycation can help people who need shelter? It’s now possible thanks to Airbnb. For every booking you make on Airbnb, a portion of the revenue will be donated to the independent nonprofit organization Airbnb.org, which provides free, temporary housing to people in times of crisis.

 

How does it work?

Through this new funding model, Airbnb will help provide $500 million USD to Airbnb.org over the next five years, putting the nonprofit on a path to provide 1 million nights of free housing annually. This funding will also allow Airbnb.org to expand its work to support families traveling for medical care, survivors fleeing domestic violence and exploitation, and more.

This new funding model will not increase what guests pay or reduce host payouts. Guests and hosts don’t need to opt in or take any action.

 

What exactly is Airbnb.org?

Airbnb.org is an independent nonprofit that provides free, temporary housing to people in times of crisis.

The idea for Airbnb.org began in 2012 when a host in the US opened her home to people displaced by Hurricane Sandy. Other hosts followed, and in 2020 the effort inspired Airbnb to found Airbnb.org, an independent nonprofit. Since then, Airbnb.org has provided more than 1.6 million nights of free housing to more than 250,000 people around the world.

It works with local nonprofit organizations and government partners to identify people who need support. Airbnb.org then provides credits to help guests to book the Airbnb home that works best for them — whether that means staying near family, bringing pets, accommodating accessibility needs, or simply having enough room for their family.

Guests supported by Airbnb.org stay for free, while hosts are paid for the stay. Hosts can also choose to support Airbnb.org by offering discounted stays or donating a portion of their Airbnb earnings.

Airbnb covers Airbnb.org’s operating costs, allowing 100 percent of public donations to go directly toward providing free housing. Airbnb makes no money from Airbnb.org stays.

 

Where would the donated money go?

The scale of Airbnb.org’s work is growing rapidly. This year, Airbnb.org has provided free temporary housing in response to more than 200 disasters, compared with just eight in 2023. At the same time, Airbnb.org is expanding beyond disaster response to more situations where free temporary stays can provide comfort and stability. The $500 million in funding from Airbnb and additional donations will help Airbnb.org expand its work to include:

• Families traveling for medical care: By the end of 2026, Airbnb.org will support families traveling for medical care in more than 20 countries, in partnerships with the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia, Instituto Beaba in Brazil, B.C. Friends of Children in Canada, Fundación Xana in Spain, and Children’s Miracle Network in the United States, among others.
• Survivors of domestic violence and exploitation: A new program will provide free, temporary stays for survivors who have left unsafe situations and are rebuilding, in partnership with Peace House in Utah, among others.
• Veterans in the United States: org is expanding support for veterans facing serious illness or undergoing intensive treatment, in partnership with Fisher House Foundation,  Dream Foundation and Operation Healing Forces.

 

What activities has Airbnb.org done in the Philippines?

Airbnb.org has provided free emergency housing in the Philippines, including during the Cebu earthquake, the Davao City earthquake, Typhoon Kalmaegi and Typhoon Fung-wong in 2025, all in collaboration with Angat Buhay, as well as Typhoon Bavi in 2026.

When families need a place to stay during a crisis, Airbnb.org helps them find one quickly. In 2026, nearly 60% of Airbnb.org check-ins around the world happened within 24 hours of booking.

“In times of crisis, helping people means making sure they can access the support they need most. Following the Cebu earthquake, while our volunteers worked to deliver essential supplies to those in need, Airbnb.org helped provide accommodation for our responders. A collaboration like this makes a real difference in supporting communities affected by disasters.” said Menard Mabutol, Program Manager for Climate Action and Sustainability at Angat Buhay.

 

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This article is a press release. Minor edits have been made by the Windowseat.ph editorial team.