Last year, when The New Yorker exposed the havoc an overdue Cascadia earthquake could wreak on the Northwest, I was immediately reminded of Hurricane Sandy. I was in New York when the storm hit and had to evacuate my apartment. As destructive as that event was, Seattle seems even more vulnerable to natural catastrophe.
As it turns out, the memory of Hurricane Sandy is helping Seattle prepare for an emergency of its own. Today, Seattle’s deputy mayor’s office is announcing a new partnership with Airbnb to provide temporary accommodations for residents displaced by disaster.
“When Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast, 1,400 Airbnb hosts in New York opened doors their doors for those left stranded. The generosity of our community inspired our team to build a worldwide disaster response initiative. This agreement with the Seattle Office of Emergency Management is an exciting next step forward in this commitment,” said Kellie Bentz, Airbnb’s Head of Disaster Response and Relief.
Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding released today, all Airbnb bookings in Seattle regions affected by disaster will be fee-free. Airbnb will reach out to hosts asking them to help, in the event of an emergency. Airbnb will also provide disaster response information to guests and hosts.
The partnership is significant because Airbnb is involved in an ongoing dispute with the Seattle City Council over regulations that would limit hosts operating short-term rentals. The city has said that Airbnb is a compliant and active participant in the discussions. It doesn’t appear that animosity is preventing the two organizations from working together.
“Partnerships are critical to helping a community prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters,” said an Airbnb spokesperson. “Through a partnership with an organization like the Seattle Office of Emergency Management, Airbnb is able to help mobilize the community to support disaster response efforts when needed and contribute to preparing the broader Seattle community for future disasters.”
