As natural disasters become more prevalent throughout the US this year, the private sector is looking to help out. Extending a program which has previously been used to help those affected by the California wildfires, Airbnb sent out a request to home owners to assist those who may have been displaced by Hurricane Florence, according to LifeHacker. Announced as running from September 10th to October 1st, the program will waive booking fees for all free listings within specified parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. For owners partaking in the program, Airbnb will still honor their Host Guarantee and other policies.
Adam Haney, Chattanooga, Tennessee resident, told News Channel 9, “I’ve been part of the program for about a year and a half. This is the first time that someone has actually taken advantage of it. I’m lucky enough that I’ve never had to evacuate for a natural disaster but I can’t imagine how stressful that is. But if I can do something as inconsequential as saying ‘you can stay at my place’ then I feel like that’s the right thing to do.”
To support the program, Airbnb has also stated they will be reviewing the bookings for imposters, and also working to cancel reservations made under the disaster response program by people from outside the evacuation area.
Sources:
https://lifehacker.com/find-free-housing-with-airbnb-if-youre-evacuating-from-1829023955
