As Hurricane Milton looks set to wallop the west coast of Florida and recovery efforts are still underway from Hurricane Helene, Airbnb is offering free, temporary housing to people who find themselves displaced by either storm.
The short-term rental company has partnered with local nonprofits and 211 centers in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia to help people find temporary shelter in homes provided by Airbnb hosts. (All requests must go through those agencies. Airbnb is not directly offering housing to individuals.)
Displaced people will not have to pay anything for the stay.
It’s the continuation of a long-standing practice at the company. Airbnb says it has provided over 1.6 million nights of emergency stays for 240,000 people in times of crisis, whether that was wildfires in California, earthquakes in Japan, or hurricanes in the U.S.
“Hurricane Helene devastated Western Carolina and we’re working hard to make sure everyone impacted has a safe place to stay following the storm,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in a statement. “We appreciate Airbnb.org stepping up to provide free temporary housing to those in need and collaborating with other local organizations during this challenging time.”
Methods for housing support in the four impacted states vary by state. (Airbnb is only offering temporary housing in the counties listed above at this time.)
Florida: Florida residents displaced by the storms in Pinellas, Hernando, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Walton, Okaloosa, Gulf, Lee, Hendry, Glades, Leon, Taylor, Wakulla, Madison, Liberty, Gadsden, Franklin, and Jefferson counties should contact their local 211 contact center. For support in Sarasota and Manatee, residents should reach out to FLUMC at (863) 688-5563 or (800) 282-8011. Those in Pasco County should contact GEM at (800) 995-7604.
North Carolina: North Carolina residents displaced by the storms should contact their local 2 11 contact center.
South Carolina: South Carolina residents displaced by the storms should contact their local 2 11 contact center
Georgia: Georgia residents in Effingham, Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, Taliaferro, Wilkes, Lincoln, Colombia, McDuffie, Warren, Richmond, Burke, Glascock, Jefferson, and Screven should contact their local 2 11 contact center. For support in Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Lowndes, and Ware, residents should reach out to Greater Valdosta United Way at (229) 242-2208.