On any given night, there are over almost 3,000 unsheltered men, women and children in Seattle, living in tents and on the street. Meanwhile, the majority of Airbnb apartments sit empty from November through April, during Seattle tourism’s “low season”.
This presents an opportunity.
What if Airbnb hosts had a safe and easy way to to open their apartments up to the homeless on vacant nights? Children could do their homework at a desk. Job seekers could get a good night’s sleep and a hot shower before an interview. Frightened women could rest easily in an apartment that locks.
This project leverages the caseworkers from the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) to identify appropriate candidates from Seattle’s homeless population and match them with Airbnb hosts willing to temporarily volunteer use of their apartments.
FAQ
What if my apartment is damaged or something is stolen?
Most homeless are not criminals or mentally ill, they’re just regular people who, for a variety of reasons, can not find or afford a place to live. They may be fleeing an abusive situation. They may lost their job due to an illness. They may just have failed to secure a job in time to make rent.
There is some risk in everything we do in life. That said, LIHI caseworkers have individual relationships with their clients and understand the importance of safety and security of the hosts and their property for the viability of this program, so they only select people who, in their judgement, will be a good, safe fit to stay in your unit.
Someone with substance abuse issues or destabilizing mental health issues would not be considered a good candidate for this program.
This program is not endorsed or covered by Airbnb, so their insurance does not apply. We will be exploring other options as the program grows, but for now, each person is responsible for their own homeowner’s insurance.
Can I choose who I take in?
Yes. You can tell us any criteria you consider necessary for your comfort, and a LIHI caseworker will contact you with background information about candidates appropriate to you. You may always simply say “no” to any candidate with whom you are not comfortable.How long will the guest stay?
This is entirely up to you, and can be based on the availability of your unit. However, at least initially, we are targeting one to two week stays.
The length of stay will be established before the guest moves in. There are several reasons for this:
- The host needs to know what dates to block off on their Airbnb calendar.
- The guest needs to enter the arrangement clearly aware of the temporary nature of the stay.
- Asking someone to leave knowing that they may not have a place to go can be difficult, but the sustainability of the program depends on making this process easy for hosts.
What are my responsibilities as a host?
You are providing an enormous benefit simply by providing a roof and a warm bed to someone who needs it. LIHI’s trained caseworkers are responsible for the day to management of the guest. If you choose, may not even meet the guest, simply giving the caseworker the door code or keys as you would an Airbnb tenant. However, if you would like to get to know your guest, you are welcome to, and the LIHI caseworker can help facilitate that.Who pays for the cleaning?
We are investigating funding to offset or pay for cleaning to prepare your apartment for your next guests (be they paying Airbnb or other program participants.) Initially, this is the responsibility of the host.Is this tax deductible?
Unfortunately, donating the use of rental property is not considered a tax deductible donation by the IRS. However, LIHI, a 501(c)3 is happy to work with you to provide receipts for other expenses.How do I express interest in participating as a host?
We're starting off by gauging interest and learning more about potential hosts. Please complete this short survey if you think you might be interested.Completing the survey does not obligate you to anything! We'd love to hear from all Airbnb hosts to understand what might make this project feasible.