Airbnb’s Frontline stays program is expanding to allow individual COVID-19 responders to book places to stay directly on the Airbnb platform, which includes eligible stays in the Seattle area.
Through the Frontline stays program, Airbnb and the company’s community of hosts are helping to provide housing for medical personnel, relief workers and other first responders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, including those who need a convenient place to stay while serving or self-isolating. Airbnb is waiving its fees for the first 100,000 stays booked through this program. The Airbnb community of generous hosts have already offered 100,000 places to stay for people responding to the pandemic.
Frontline responders can now submit their professional information and housing needs directly on the Airbnb platform by visiting https://www.airbnb.com/covid19responder. Once they complete the form, eligible responders will receive an email invitation providing access to search and book places to stay. Hosts will be able to see that their guest is an eligible frontline worker.
When this global initiative launched in late March, stays were only able to be booked through a growing list of partner organizations. This program has now expanded to allow individual responders to book these free and paid stays directly on the Airbnb platform at https://www.airbnb.com/covid19responder. This new functionality will allow hosts to help even more people who are in immediate need. While Airbnb continues to work with partner organizations like government agencies, nonprofits, and healthcare providers to book stays, time is essential during this crisis, and many responders immediately need comfortable and convenient places to stay.
Accommodation for relief and medical workers, who have higher exposure to COVID-19, requires robust preventive practices and stringent safety standards. Airbnb takes the health and safety of its community very seriously and has worked with leading experts and officials to develop a protocol for hosts who support this collective health effort. The protocol incorporates requirements from local and national authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Airbnb is working with experts to continuously enhance this approach, including Dr. Larry Brilliant, a renowned epidemiologist and Chair of Ending Pandemics. Dr. Brilliant will also involve several nationally recognized experts from his consultancy, Pandefense, in this effort.
For any hosts interested in joining this community of Frontline stays, please sign up here. If you are a COVID-19 responder, get started here. And anyone who may not be able to open their home, but still would like to help, can donate to help fund even more stays.
