Airbnb says it is offering free temporary housing to residents of the Los Angeles area affected by the wildfires currently raging through Southern California. The company has partnered with 211 LA, a non-profit telephone line that offers local information services in multiple languages. Right now, Airbnb says it is focused on helping residents from the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Sylmar areas. The company may expand to support other areas, and encourages locals to keep an eye on its blog for updates.
Airbnb will work with 211 LA to identify residents in need of temporary housing and connect them to accommodations offered through Airbnb.org, the company’s non-profit arm which provides free stays through funds from the company and hosts who offer up their homes during disaster situations. The company says more than 1.6 million nights of emergency stays have been provided to approximately 250,000 people.
The home-sharing platform received some criticism on Twitter/X after a user posted that Airbnb had refused to rebook her into new accommodations further away from the wildfire. The company told Gizmodo that the woman had made her booking on the afternoon of January 7, after the wildfire had already begun, which is why it had initially refused to issue a refund. Airbnb has since remedied the situation as a goodwill gesture.
Other guests who had ongoing reservations in impacted areas of Southern California are eligible to end their trips early under Airbnb’s Major Disruptive Events Policy and will receive a fund for the remaining nights on their stay. If their stay had not yet begun, users can cancel for a full refund. Hosts can cancel stays in affected areas without consequence.
Thank you Airbnb pic.twitter.com/4BeL26L8Yj
— Ana Mostarac (@anammostarac) January 8, 2025
So far, at least two fatalities have been reported and at least 1,000 structures have been destroyed as three major fires continue to blaze across the Los Angeles area. Videos on social media depict a devastating scene of affluent areas including Pacific Palisades in ruins.
This is insane. The Pacific Palisades looks like a war zone. Thousands of acres destroyed in a day. Hoping the fire can be contained soon pic.twitter.com/1PnZOqnxCk
— litquidity (@litcapital) January 8, 2025
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