Airbnb offers free housing to those affected by the US ban

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

Many of you have read in the news about the recent limits enforced on immigration into the US. It is not my intention to start a political discussion here, however I wanted to let you all know that Airbnb is working with partners around the world and has set up a tool to help provide free housing to refugees and anyone recently barred from entering the US. If you would like to read more about Brian Chesky's announcement, see here.

If you would like to help and offer support, here is how you can: Volunteer My Home

An excellent Community Center guide has just been created on how to volunteer your home, do take a look here for more guidance. 

Thanks so much to you all. 

Lizzie

[Jeannette0]

Lizzie, there is ferocious negative blowback from Brian's decision to give $1 million to the ACLU. 

It would have been far wiser to be politically neutral for AirBNB in my humble opinion, unless it intends to only be a U.S. Coasts kind of service.

A typical response:

I was looking earlier at airbnb for my upcoming vacation. Not anymore. Boycotted

[Jeannette0]

@Lizzie, Do you have the Admin superpowers to edit my previous post that reads:

"Lizzie, there is ferocious negative blowback from Brian's decision to give $1 million to the ACLU. "

to just:

"Lizzie, there is ferocious negative blowback from Brian's decision to house refugees."

I apologize to the community, this is my misreading of a headline, that also crammed in the news of the *LYFT* donation of $1 million to the ACLU.

[Mark26]

https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2017/01/30/trump-supporters-boycott-starbucks-after-ceos-refugee...

[Roz4]

@Jeannette0

Thats an interesting point of view I hadnt considered- people boycotting airbnb for that reason.  I think the idea to help refugees supports airbnbs ethos, not to discrimate.  If there are people who now wont stay with me because of Brians decision then chances are I didnt want them anyway. I like liberal, compassionate, worldly guests myself!

[Alvina0]

I'm in agreement with that!  I want to err on the side of kindness!  I'm glad to be part of an organization that stands up for refugees.

[Pete26]

I don't know what all the hubbub is about but supporting the ACLU supports American values and social justice. [Inappropriate Content hidden] If Airbnb gave a million (a tiny part of their enormous wealth) then I am proud to be part of that. 

Pete

[David126]

Lots of people have a very different view of the ACLU, but what they want to do with their own investors money is between them and their investors.

Should be a non issue.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Jeannette0 I totally agree with you Airbnb should have remain neutral. It not a place for politics.

[David126]

AirBnB is it seems NOT offering free housing.

It seems the only people who are expected to do so are hosts. Horribly misleading.

[Jeannette0]

And ... there's that part of this misleading effort, too.

[Lawrene0]

Thanks for the heads up and the links, @Lizzie. 

[Fiona0]

I will (and have already) offered free accomodation to refugees but it will not be with Airbnb taking the credit for my financial hit.

[Lizzie]

Hello @David126 and @Jeannette0,

Thank you for your responses. 

I understand your thoughts on this and I am sorry to hear you feel this is misleading. Airbnb's mission is to create a world in which everyone can belong, this is a mission that is fully ingrained into the ethos of the company. The host community is critical for this and as an Airbnb host you are part of Airbnb. Therefore, understanding that this recent ban affects this mission, we created a way for hosts who wish to offer their homes up for free, to do so. This is optional and it is completely up to you as an individual, on whether you decide you wish to or are able to offer this.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Jeannette0]

Thank you Lizzie.

Re; "Airbnb's mission is to create a world in which everyone can belong,"

The problem is, in effect, Brian's anti-Trump moves are picking sides in U.S. domestic politics and going against an elected president, creating a business model in which non-coastal elites do not belong.

This is already creating big, big problems at the host level.

For example, hosts that are sort of "regular Americans" are finding themselves having to host extremely committed partisans (i.e., guests arriving to participate in violent anti-inauguration protests) who arrive with a combative attitude and refuse to get along with centrist hosts and pick fights with their hosts.

So, AirBNB, an ostensibly American company, needs to figure out whether it is going to preferentially support refugees etc. over regular everyday American hosts and guests who exists by the millions outside of the coastal elites.

And believe me, these moves will HURT hosts ... a lot ... the reaction is a whirlwind.