Airbnb Is Giving Free Lodging to Hurricane Florence Evacuees
With the threat of Hurricane Florence looming over 5.4 million residents, Airbnb hosts are opening their homes free of charge to those displaced by the storm and disaster relief workers.
The temporary program, "Open Homes," has already been enacted in Virginia, Georgia and North and South Carolina, with Airbnb hosts offering free stays until Oct. 1. These accommodations will be under a "zero dollar listing," with all state and local taxes waived for the time being. According to Airbnb.com, more than 300 community members have already volunteered their homes.
Airbnb, an online hospitality service in which renters vend personal properties and or rooms to guests, originally launched the "Open Homes" program back in 2012. After Hurricane Sandy left New York residents displaced, approximately 1,000 renters opened their homes to evacuees. According to Airbnb, the program has since housed more than 11,000 displaced people from natural disasters, conflict or illness.
To encourage renters to participate in the program, Airbnb has reached out to hosts in Atlanta, Augusta, Charlotte, Greensboro, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg and Charlottesville. In order to volunteer your property or search for lodging, visit Airbnb's website to learn more.
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