(TAN): On March 30th, Airbnb announced the Superhost Relief Fund to provide grants to tenured hosts who are facing financial challenges because of travel disruption and other impacts of the global COVID-19 crisis.
The home sharing platform has further provided an update to award USD 7.4 million in grants to over 4,000 hosts around the world. Airbnb continues to send out invitations and review applications in order to distribute the remaining USD 9.6 million in the Fund.
The fund has a total of USD 17 million, which will be awarded in grants to hosts by the end of June. Airbnb employees started this fund in March with USD 1 million in donations out of their own pockets and the intention to provide direct assistance to hosts; Airbnb founders Joe, Nate and Brian personally contributed USD 9 million. Airbnb investors followed suit and contributed another USD 7 million.
The Fund was designed to support Superhosts who rent out their own home and need help paying their rent or mortgage, and long-tenured Experience hosts trying to make ends meet. Airbnb has sent over 15,000 invitations and reviewed thousands of applications.
Jacqueline, a Superhost on Airbnb from Uganda, commented, “Since 2014, Airbnb has provided an invaluable supplemental income. As a social worker working with HIV/AIDS programs in Uganda, my salary is not sufficient to cover my day-to-day bills and educate my son. More recently, my son’s father was diagnosed with cancer and sadly passed away in September 2019. Airbnb earnings helped pay for his medical treatment and now contribute to caring for his mother. Meeting new people and making lifelong friends through Airbnb has been a ray of sunshine. Receiving this grant is the silver lining in these very challenging times.”
“Everything in Durango that is the reason people go there has been shut down or cancelled: the train, Trimble hot springs, river excursions, ski area, conventions, graduations. We are generally at full capacity during these times. Prior to Airbnb, my elderly mother, who helps me host, said she felt invisible and lonely. We miss meeting people and sharing stories. We also had to let go of employees who are like family. I deferred the mortgage but if this goes on too long I’m at risk of losing the house,” said Kate, a Superhost on Airbnb from the United States.
Airbnb is sending out thousands of new invitations through the end of May, with a goal to award most grants by end of June or until the total fund resources are exhausted. The fund will support thousands of Superhosts, but not all of them will receive invitations, which are prioritized according to several factors, like how long they have been a Superhost and how severely their Airbnb earnings have been impacted, for example. Grants range from USD 1,000 to USD 5,000 and don’t need to be paid back.
