IOM partners with Airbnb to shelter essential workers post-Melissa

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has announced a partnership with Airbnb.org to provide free emergency stays for families and frontline responders displaced by Hurricane Melissa.

Airbnb.org is the non-profit arm of Airbnb that connects people to free housing in times of crisis. The IOM said the collaboration will deliver temporary accommodation over the coming weeks and months, ensuring safe shelter as recovery and rebuilding continue.

In Jamaica, more than 400,000 people live in inadequate housing, including an estimated 2,487 still sheltered in collective emergency centres.

“When homes are destroyed, it’s not just walls that crumble – it’s people’s sense of safety and belonging,” said Amy Pope, IOM director general. “Partnerships like this ensure families can find comfort and dignity, even amid chaos.”

Airbnb.org has committed up to 2,000 nights of free housing for displaced government workers delivering essential services, as well as vulnerable individuals including older persons, women and children. The stays are funded by Airbnb.org and donors, with IOM working alongside government officials to identify beneficiaries.

The organisation is also dispatching 4,470 emergency relief items from its Barbados warehouse to support affected families. Supplies include tarpaulins, ropes, shelter repair kits, generators, air mattresses, hygiene kits, solar lamps and bedding sets. Distribution is being coordinated with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, prioritising the hardest-hit parishes.

At the same time, IOM is using its Displacement Tracking Matrix to strengthen the response. A dedicated Latin America and Caribbean Pre-Evacuation Platform has been launched to map and update evacuation centres across Jamaica and neighbouring islands. Data and maps showing the hurricane’s path and shelter locations are being shared with partners to guide relief efforts.

The collaboration builds on several years of partnership between IOM and Airbnb.org, supporting displaced communities worldwide.