Stephanie Babych Calgary Herald Sep 15, 2022
A donation of emergency housing from Airbnb.org is helping Canadian immigration agencies to connect incoming Afghan refugees and displaced Ukrainians with temporary homes.
With the donation, the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) is working with the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (CISSA-ACSEI) to secure temporary housing for newcomers from Ukraine and Afghanistan, which is essential as more arrive in Canada.
“This donation allows us to place Afghans and Ukrainians into Airbnb homes for short periods of time. This is so critically important because of arrival surges of both Afghans and Ukrainians who need immediate housing,” said Chris Friesen, interim co-executive director of CISSA-ACSEI.
Friesen said the donation doesn’t have an exact monetary value but would be worth several hundred thousand dollars.
More than 550,000 Ukrainians have applied to come to Canada under the special federal government visa, and this country has already welcomed 82,000 Ukrainian newcomers since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, Friesen said.
Airbnb.org offers grants to non-profits that connect people to temporary housing, resources and specialized support in times of crisis. Through this work, it also provides access to free or discounted housing offered by the Airbnb host community, leveraging the organization’s technology and services for charitable purposes.
“We’re excited to be able to announce this offer of housing as we turn over every rock we can to address the housing needs we have,” said Friesen.
While the one-year milestone of bringing in Afghan refugees has been crossed, there are still about 20,000 Afghans coming to Canada, Friesen said. Applications and arrivals are also up for Ukrainian newcomers, with about 100 to 150 arriving in Calgary weekly.
“These are two dynamic humanitarian operations happening concurrently, which is a unique time in Canadian history, and we are desperate for housing options, so this particular housing option is welcomed by all of us,” said Friesen.
Outgoing CEO of CCIS Fariborz Birjandian said the contributions from Airbnb.org are both generous and important.
“Canada has a long history of responding to international crises. As Canadians, we should be proud that our governments, communities and corporations have responded to the Ukrainian crisis by bringing over 82,000 vulnerable people to Canada,” he said.
CCIS announced the donation from Airbnb.org on behalf of Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven (OUSH), a nationally co-ordinated initiative that’s focused on resettling displaced Ukrainians. It is led by CISSA-ACSEI.
Friesen said housing is critical, because not having enough delays the settlement process.
“That delays their ability to engage in the labour market, to register and have their children attend school, to attend adult English and additional language classes, so the overall settlement process is delayed,” he said.
Following Airbnb.org’s donation, Friesen is calling on other private companies in the housing or hospitality industry to consider how they can help.