Airbnb.org has announced $2 million in funding from the Shapiro Foundation to launch an initiative aimed at helping refugees and asylum seekers entering the United States. 

To date, Airbnb.org has connected nearly 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers to emergency stays, including more than 135,000 refugees from Ukraine and over 34,000 refugees from Afghanistan. To help meet the ongoing need, Airbnb.org has launched the Sponsorship Initiative, which will direct funding for housing support and match fundraising efforts of select refugee-focused nonprofit organizations that connect newcomers with sponsors in the U.S., such as International Organization for Migration, Nova Ukraine, Global Empowerment Mission, Church World Service, and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. The initiative supports expanded legal pathways for refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, and Venezuela to resettle in new communities in the U.S.

Airbnb.org also announced $1 million in additional funding to its Refugee Fund, which helps support Airbnb.org’s work with refugees and asylum seekers worldwide, including those crossing international borders. Launched in 2021, the fund distributes a combination of grants and direct vouchers to guests to help nonprofits and local government agencies meet the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. and Latin America. 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/freemixer)