Since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and subsequent fleeing of Afghans seeking political asylum, Airbnb has pledged to house up to 40,000 individuals seeking places to live.
The company originally vowed to house 20,000 refugees thanks to its charitable capabilities.
“Today, we are proud to share that thanks to the generosity of our hosts and donors from across the country and around the world, Airbnb.org will have the capacity to go above and beyond its initial commitment to house 20,000 Afghan refugees,” the company announced on a blog post, Sept. 23.
The funding for these stays comes from contributions from the company’s CEO and co-founder, Brian Chesky, and donors from the Airbnb Refugee Fund.
“Afghan refugees will be welcomed by hosts like Mahmoud from Garrison, New York – one of the thousands of people who signed up via Airbnb.org to open up their home. Mahmoud is also a refugee from Iran and a translator for the U.S. Department of State,” the site’s blog stated.
Airbnb has partnered with the nine U.S. resettlement agencies to help find housing for hundreds in U.S. cities.
“Airbnb and Airbnb.org have been supporting refugees and other displaced people for almost a decade and we look forward to continuing to provide support to Afghan refugees in close coordination with our partners over the coming months and years ahead,” the company stated.
Officials estimate that 65,000 refugees have come to the U.S. as of the end of September, with 30,000 more expected in 2022.
Chesky and chairman Joe Gebbia have met with representatives of resettlement agencies to learn how they can keep meeting the needs of refugees coming to the U.S.
Airbnb is valued at $107 billion.