Screenshot of Airbnb.org page for refugees featuring Airbnb.org logo and text reading "In times of crisis, be a host." and "Sign up to host a refugee."
Photo: Screenshot

As a response to the growing violence in Afghanistan and the thousands who have fled to seek safety in the U.S., Airbnb.org expanded its partnership with resettlement agencies, like the International Rescue Committee (IRC), to fund temporary stays for refugees and Afghan evacuees. Generous, local community hosts have the option to offer short-term stays for free or at a deep discount, increasing the availability of immediate housing options for their newest neighbors. Sally and Rebecca, two hosts who offered up their spaces in support of families resettled by the IRC in Salt Lake City, recently supported free stays for refugee families arriving to Utah. 

Sally was inspired to reach out to the IRC in Salt Lake City to inquire about providing housing after hearing about the arriving Afghan families. “We had seen in the Salt Lake Tribune that over 500 refugees from Afghanistan were supposed to arrive in the month of October, and it was September 29th. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I wonder if there is a way that I could help.’” Utah currently expects to welcome 765 Afghan Humanitarian Parolees over the next six months, 615 of whom will be supported and receive a variety of services from the IRC in Salt Lake City.  

After reaching out to the IRC to learn more about how she could use her Airbnb listing to provide temporary housing, Sally was surprised by how quickly a family was placed to arrive in her space. “I was put in touch with [the housing & logistics coordinator], and in my initial inquiry I said that we used to be Airbnb hosts and that we had a space, so if you guys ever had a need for that, here’s my contact information. I certainly wasn’t expecting [the coordinator] to get back to me and say, ‘Well how about to tomorrow?’” Sally laughs.  

Sally feels that the swiftness of the placement made her realize just how big the need for housing is and has since urged others who have private, spare spaces and apartments to sign up to host through Airbnb, to provide the same service she does. “The fact that a family was placed with us so quickly, I think should encourage people, not intimidate them. If they have a space to offer, now is the time and it’s greatly needed,” Sally says. Spaces offered through Airbnb must be private, unoccupied spaces suitable to ensure the safety and privacy of the newly arriving refugee family.

“I can’t imagine that anybody would look back and regret being generous, it seems like the classic golden rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” - Sally 

Rebecca shares a similar story of learning about the arriving refugees from Afghanistan and the need for housing. She did not have a previous listing on Airbnb but had a private guest house that was available. “I hadn’t really thought about it before,” Rebecca says about getting involved with the IRC in Salt Lake City. “With Utah opening up to more refugees with the Afghanistan crisis, I kind of became more aware of it and started looking into it and figuring if that was a way that I could help my community.”  

After searching through a few websites and connecting with IRC staff, she learned about Airbnb.org and the ability to provide free temporary housing. “I thought ‘That is something I could do,’” she says.  

For Rebecca, helping others feel welcomed and safe in a new country is important because of a personal experience abroad that made a lasting impact. “I was kind of stuck in the middle of Uganda, by myself, for several months,” Rebecca shares. “I was on my own with a different culture and it was really lonely. I feel like I can empathize a tiny, tiny little bit with what it would be like to just be dropped in this different country with nothing.” Though she acknowledges that the refugee experience is vastly different, the months spent in Uganda left Rebecca with the desire to do her part in providing a sense of belonging for newcomers in the U.S.  

The IRC in Salt Lake City is grateful for the support from community members who have stepped up over the past months by volunteering, holding donation drives and fundraisers, and provided temporary or long-term housing to newly arrived families. As we continue to welcome more families to Utah from Afghanistan and around the globe, finding safe, private, and centrally-located housing in the Salt Lake Valley for everyone is essential. There are several ways you can help: