Displaced by the LA Fires? How to Get Free Temporary Housing Through Airbnb

10.01.2025 - 12:43 / cntraveler.com

As of Thursday, January 9, the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have prompted evacuation orders for at least 130,000 residents and have burned more than 2,000 buildings and homes. If you've been displaced by the Los Angeles fires, you may be eligible for free housing through Airbnb.

Airbnb.org—an independent nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb in 2020 to offer temporary housing for those affected by humanitarian crises—announced a partnership with local nonprofit 211 LA on Wednesday to provide shelter for those affected by the wildfires.

Displaced residents can complete a form with information including their full name; permanent address; total number of adults, children, and pets requiring shelter; and whether or not they are a first responder. Airbnb.org and 211 LA are working as quickly as possible to approve all parties. At this time, there is not have an estimated timeline available for when applications will be approved.

“The need is overwhelming,” Christoph Gorder, the Executive Director of Airbnb.org, tells Condé Nast Traveler. “Thousands of people have applied for this program within the first few hours of it launching yesterday.”

Once their application is approved, guests will find available credits in their profile in the Airbnb app. “Credits are based on the number of people [in each party] for what we estimate to be about seven days," says Gorder. This means bigger families can expect more credits to find the right property than, say, someone applying solo. In order to make homes as affordable as possible, hosts located in safe areas nearby are being asked to discount their listings and Airbnb has waived all extra fees. Crowdsourced donations to Airbnb.org are used to help cover any leftover cost.

Airbnb expects more residents to be able to return to their homes within the next seven days, Gordon says, after which the organization will reevaluate who requires additional credits to extend their stay.

Nearby hosts in safe areas can apply to offer a free or discounted room or home through an online form on Airbnb.org. This listing will be exclusively offered to Airbnb.org guests who are in need of shelter. Airbnb will waive all service fees for both hosts and guests. Participating hosts will also receive AirCover protection (guest identity verification, $3 million in damage protection, $1 million in liability insurance, and a 24-hour safety line throughout the duration of the stay).

If you aren't in a position to host a stay, you can also donate on Airbnb.org to help cover the costs of housing for those affected. Airbnb covers all of the operating costs of Airbnb.org, so all donations will directly support people in need. “Between our donors and the hosts offering discounts, that's