Airbnb and Airbnb.org Announce Partnerships in the Caribbean to Support Communities Ahead of Hurricane Season
Airbnb.org, an independent nonprofit founded by Airbnb to provide emergency housing in times of crisis, signed an agreement with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to accelerate access to temporary housing for people displaced by disasters across CDEMA’s 20 Caribbean member countries.
The agreement is designed to help mobilize available housing support after a disaster, helping close temporary housing gaps that often emerge in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.
The partnership is anchored by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that addresses roles, coordination, and activations during the critical early days of a disaster response. CDEMA will help coordinate with local responders to identify people with emergency housing needs, while Airbnb.org will support these efforts by helping provide free, available emergency housing.
Airbnb.org leverages the Airbnb platform to help connect people who need a place to stay with listings on Airbnb, enabling guests to book homes that meet their needs, including kitchens, laundry rooms, and pet-friendly spaces. All stays are offered at no cost to guests and funded by Airbnb.org.
“Since 2020, we’ve provided 1,500 nights of emergency housing across the Caribbean after disasters, including hurricanes Melissa, Beryl, and Fiona. This agreement with CDEMA will allow us to mobilize faster to help provide more people a free place to stay when they need it most,” said Christoph Gorder, Airbnb.org’s Executive Director. “We help meet families’ unique needs by providing homes that offer privacy, dignity, and the practical comforts that make it possible to focus on rebuilding—and at no cost to the guest.”
According to CDEMA’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Riley, the partnership represents a valuable addition to the region’s disaster preparedness and response framework.
“As we enter the 2026 hurricane season, the MOU strengthens our ability to support people affected by disasters through innovative solutions and enhanced regional collaboration. By combining CDEMA’s regional coordination capacity with Airbnb.org’s emergency housing support, we are expanding the resources available to communities when they need them most,” said Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of CDEMA. “It also reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that affected populations can access timely assistance and recover more quickly following disasters.”
In addition, Airbnb, in collaboration with CDEMA and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), launched a hurricane safety guide to support communities and educate the public about what to do before, during, and after a hurricane. It also includes emergency contact information for multiple Caribbean islands. Airbnb will provide the hurricane safety guide to hosts in the region so they can share with their guests.
“Safety in the Caribbean is a top priority for Airbnb. By collaborating with expert organizations like CDEMA and the CTO, we are ensuring our hosts and guests have access to vital, locally-sourced resources to prepare for and navigate hurricane season,” said Carlos Muñoz, Airbnb’s Director of Public Policy for the Caribbean and Central America.
