Case Study

Partnering with Airbnb.org in Poland

Project Name
Geography
Ukraine
Poland
Date
July 17, 2024
Alight helps Ukrainians find safety amid crisis. Partnering with Airbnb.org, we've provided over 73,000 nights of free housing.

Alight Europe

Ukraine
Poland
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Challenge

Becoming a refugee is overwhelming, and for Ukrainians, the ordeal is painfully fresh. Alight, with its long experience helping displaced people, understands the need for guidance through this confusing and treacherous time. As the Ukrainian crisis continues, we stepped in to guide refugees to safety, bridging the gap between Silicon Valley services and the sanctuary people desperately need.

Since its start in February 2022, the war in Ukraine has displaced over 6.5 million people, with 2.5 million of them fleeing to Poland. Alight’s rapid response team has been at the Ukrainian-Polish border from the beginning, helping refugees navigate their new reality.

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Alight Europe

Approach

Alight's efforts included providing essentials like warm blankets, cots, and medical supplies, and creating safe spaces for vulnerable groups, such as LGBTQI+ refugees and children.  And because housing was identified as a top concern for new arrivals, we began offering short-term housing in partnership with Airbnb.org and other housing providers.

Alight Europe

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Impact

Alight's Housing Guides are Ukrainian, and they meet refugees at the border, train stations, and online to provide support in their native language. They facilitate housing arrangements both in person and via the Airbnb app to book accommodations, helping families find safe, temporary housing in Poland and nearby countries. They also help with housing arrangements and answer questions, bridging the gap between refugees and the resources available to them.

As of 2023, with Alight’s support, Airbnb.org has helped nearly 12,000 Ukrainian refugees find free stays, totaling more than 73,146 nights in which they lived in safe housing.

The future for Ukrainians remains uncertain, so our Guides continue to gather information to keep our efforts responsive. We are also developing a digital resource with essential information on housing, legal support, education, and healthcare, available both to those in Ukraine and those who have fled.  

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