Airbnb is testing housing registration for disaster victims ramp

Home site Airbnb is conducting a trial to see whether it is feasible for homeowners to register their homes as free accommodation for disaster victims, so that the site immediately knows where victims can go right after a disaster.

Airbnb will conduct a trial with the American city of San Jose to enable the registration of houses as shelters for victims, the company reports. Airbnb already has a method for making a home available for shelter after a disaster, but no way to do that in advance.

The intention is that after the trial in San Jose, the initiative will expand to several cities, although it is unknown when that will happen and which cities. In addition to using homes as shelters, the pilot also includes developing a protocol for communication between homeowners and people who provide shelter after a disaster occurs.

The partnership with San Jose is no coincidence. The city is located in Silicon Valley, the area where Airbnb’s headquarters is also located. In addition, after a flood last year, San Jose used Airbnb to find shelter for its victims.