The accommodations giant Airbnb has launched its Open Homes Program for users to host people in need of emergency housing as Hurricane Dorian approaches the U.S. coast.
The free, temporary housing is to be available through September 16, according to the Airbnb website, with over 1,000 hosts already signed up to open their homes to “displaced neighbours” and “relief workers deployed to help.”
“Airbnb’s Open Homes Program continues to be activated for those affected by Hurricane Dorian across the southeast U.S. region,” said Airbnb’s head of global disaster response and relief Kellie Bentz, in an emailed statement to CTV News.ca. “Through the program, those in need of temporary accommodations can connect with Open Homes hosts in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama free of charge. We encourage hosts to open up their homes, and those who need housing to take advantage of the program.”
A vast swath of homes stretching from Florida, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama have been marked available on a Airbnb’s map, and the numbers of hosts continue to rise.
Airbnb started the program in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. The program allows for the company to activate a “response tool” which “automatically contacts the hosts in the impacted and surrounding areas asking if they have extra space.” All of the regular coverages and guarantees apply, and all booking fees are waived by the company.
Hurricane Dorian is expected to make landfall on the U.S. mainland after it ripped through the Bahamas with wind speeds up to 297 kph. The governors of South Carolina and Georgia ordered mandatory evacuations Monday along their states coastlines, and Florida authorities have ordered evacuations in vulnerable coastal areas.
