Airbnb Pledges $500M to House 1M People in Crisis Yearly

When Susan Bailey got a call at 8 p.m. asking if she'd host an Iraqi refugee family arriving at midnight, she didn't hesitate, even though her Colorado rental property wasn't quite ready. That 2017 decision launched years of opening her home to families fleeing wildfires, disasters, and crises of all kinds.

Now, Airbnb is scaling up that spirit of generosity into its biggest commitment yet. The company announced it will funnel $500 million over the next five years to Airbnb.org, its independent nonprofit, to provide 1 million free emergency housing nights each year.

The funding comes from a simple formula: 10 cents from every Airbnb booking. With 57 million stays booked in 2025 alone, those dimes add up fast.

Airbnb.org helps people displaced by disasters like hurricanes and wildfires, families traveling for medical care, domestic violence survivors seeking safety, and veterans in need. Guests stay for free while hosts are compensated, though many choose to discount their rates.

For CEO Brian Chesky, the mission is deeply personal. His mother traveled 300 miles round trip by train for breast cancer treatment in 2011 because she couldn't afford to stay overnight in New York City.

"She met other people on the train doing the same thing," Chesky recalls. "That made us realize there's a lot of need out there."

The nonprofit started informally after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when hosts began offering emergency housing through word of mouth. It became Airbnb.org in 2020 and has since provided free stays to 250,000 people.

The Ripple Effect

This year alone, Airbnb.org has responded to over 200 crises globally, up from just eight in 2023. That's essentially one disaster per day.

When the Los Angeles wildfires erupted in January 2025, the nonprofit partnered with 211 LA to house displaced families. Within 10 days, demand skyrocketed from 100 households to 10,000.

"People with children and pets were hesitant to go to shelters," says Maribel Marin, executive director of 211 LA. Together, the organizations provided 78,000 free nights of housing.

Bailey, who manages properties in Long Beach, welcomed a couple with a toddler fleeing the Eaton fire. When she texted neighbors asking for a playpen and car seat, the community responded with not just baby supplies but home cooked meals left on porches.

"It's a really natural instinct for people to want to help other people in crisis," says Christoph Gorder, Airbnb.org's executive director. "What we're doing is bringing technology to scale that at a global level."

The five year commitment is just the beginning, according to Chesky, who plans to continue the program for as long as Airbnb exists.