Supporting Louisiana disaster response infrastructure

As the 2026 hurricane season begins, we are announcing new community investments to strengthen disaster preparedness and emergency housing capacity in Louisiana. The donations support two organizations at the center of the state’s disaster response ecosystem: VIA LINK and the United Way of Southeast Louisiana Resiliency Center – founded by Rebuilding Together New Orleans.

VIA LINK, which connects residents in crisis to essential resources around the clock, will receive $15,000 to support its disaster response and preparedness programming. The Resiliency Center will receive $100,000 to advance its fortified roofing collaborative, an initiative working with nonprofits and community partners to harden homes across the region. 

Fortified roofs meet higher wind-resistance standards and are increasingly tied to insurance rate relief for Louisiana homeowners. The Resiliency Center anticipates serving more than 2,500 community members through preparedness programming this year.

“VIA LINK and the Resiliency Center are doing the hard, essential work of getting families ready before a storm hits. We are proud to support that work and to deepen our presence as a partner in Louisiana’s disaster response infrastructure.”

Nia Brown, Airbnb Public Policy Manager

“Disasters don’t impact everyone equally. For ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households already struggling to make ends meet, a storm, flood, or major home repair can quickly become a financial crisis that takes months or even years to overcome. We’re grateful to Airbnb for investing in solutions that help families prepare before disaster strikes and recover more quickly afterward. This support will strengthen our fortified roofing collaborative and broader resilience efforts, helping more households protect what they’ve worked so hard to build and remain on a path toward long-term stability.” 

Michael Williamson, United Way of Southeast Louisiana Resiliency Center President and CEO

These investments build on Airbnb’s broader commitment to Louisiana, which has included more than $150,000 in community giving to New Orleans-based organizations and additional support for the French Quarter Festival and Festival International de Louisiane.

How Airbnb.org supports New Orleans

Separately, Airbnb.org, an independent nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb in 2020, partnered with VIA LINK to provide free emergency housing to people in need. In 2025 alone, VIA LINK and Airbnb.org partnered to provide free stays during five separate incidents in New Orleans and Louisiana, providing more than 500 nights to local families during tornadoes and residential fires. 

“Our partnership with Airbnb.org has provided a much needed resource that we have never been able to offer before: temporary housing at no cost to a family that has lost use of their home, either temporarily or permanently, and needs a safe place and time to regroup and figure out their next move. We have been able to help families that have lost their homes to fire, tornadoes, flooding, and hurricanes. What a great gift to families when they are probably feeling their lowest.”

LaVondra Dobbs, Executive Director of VIA LINK

Airbnb.org uses the Airbnb platform to connect people who need a place to stay with hosts willing to share theirs. 100 percent of all donations go directly to providing emergency housing in times of crisis. To date, Airbnb.org has provided 1.6 million nights of free, temporary housing, including during hurricanes in the Caribbean, flooding in central Texas, wildfires in Los Angeles, floods in Brazil, and the earthquake in Japan’s Noto Peninsula.

About Airbnb in New Orleans

The typical New Orleans host earned an estimated $17,000 in 2025,¹ income that helps residents manage rising costs of living and stay in the homes and neighborhoods they love.

Airbnb also collected and remitted more than $23 million in tourism taxes in New Orleans in 2025 on behalf of hosts, and over $131 million to date, contributions that flow back into the city’s public services and infrastructure.

Across Louisiana, travel on Airbnb helped generate nearly $850 million in 2025, including:

• Almost 11,500 jobs supported by guest spending;
• Nearly $470 million in labor income; and
• More than $240 million in total tax revenue.