Airbnb hosts offering Kilauea evacuees free stays
Airbnb has activated its Disaster Response program for Hawaii’s Big Island, seeking free temporary housing from its community of hosts for displaced residents evacuated following the eruption of Kilauea.
The program will run through May 31 and is encouraging hosts in other parts of Hawaii County not affected by lava flows to open their homes to Lower Puna residents and relief workers.
The program has kicked in during several other natural disasters in recent years including Hurricane Mathew, California wildfires and the Louisiana floods.
So far the program has been triggered for more than 90 disaster responses globally with more than 16,000 nights donated.
Kellie Bentz, Airbnb’s head of Global Disaster Response and Relief said the company is seeking hosts ‘to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help those who have been impacted and to relief workers offering their assistance on the ground.’
"Our thoughts continue to be with everyone impacted, and we thank the dedicated government and emergency response personnel who are keeping our communities safe," Bentz added.
More people were evacuated by helicopter at the weekend after new lava flows cut off 40 homes in another subdivision below the volcano.
So far 40 buildings and homes have been destroyed in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens sub divisions in the past two weeks.
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