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To: Airbnb

Airbnb: Provide incentives for people to not rent out their properties in DC metro area

"Guests whose reservations are canceled will be refunded in full. We also will reimburse hosts, at Airbnb’s expense, the money they would have earned from these cancelled reservations."

https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-to-block-and-cancel-d-c-reservations-during-inauguration

Airbnb should provide incentives for people to not rent out their properties in the DC metro area from Jan. 16th-Jan. 21st in order to keep our communities safe from white nationalists who are planning on coming back to the city in support of Trump.

Why is this important?

White nationalists and conspiracy theorists already attempted a failed coup on our government because they believe the election was stolen from Trump. After they overwhelmed law enforcement, they went back into our communities to stay at rental properties after some hotels closed ahead of their arrival. Now they are coming back. Airbnb should provide incentives for people to not rent out their properties in the DC metro area from Jan. 16th-Jan. 21st in order to keep our communities safe.

Airbnb should provide funding to help those who are struggling and not rely on individual Airbnb hosts to cancel or block out reservations. Many Airbnb hosts rely on renting their space in order to make monthly rent or obtain another source of income as a result of the unemployment or underemployment during the pandemic. Also, many local DC Airbnb guests are don't have stable housing or are unhoused. Let's hold corporations accountable in actively fighting against white supremacy. Words are empty with action!

Updates

2021-01-14 12:29:30 -0500

Petition is successful with 328 signatures

2021-01-13 18:11:43 -0500

We did it! Thank you to everyone who signed! "Guests whose reservations are canceled will be refunded in full. We also will reimburse hosts, at Airbnb’s expense, the money they would have earned from these cancelled reservations."

https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-to-block-and-cancel-d-c-reservations-during-inauguration

Now, Vrbo must do the same: https://sign.moveon.org/p/vrbo

2021-01-12 16:57:35 -0500

“Late last week, Patrilie Hernandez, a 35-year-old community advocate in Northeast D.C., saw a number of Facebook friends and mutual-aid group friends posting online about similar efforts. Over the weekend, she enlisted her partner’s help to start a MoveOn.org petition explicitly calling on Airbnb to “provide incentives for people to not rent out their properties in DC metro area.”

“I feel like a lot of the onus is put on the property owner, but this would be a great time for corporations to put their money where their mouth is in terms of supporting racial justice,” Hernandez said, referring to Capitol rioters’ white-supremacy hand signs and Confederate flags. “We had all these corporations putting black squares on [their Instagram feeds] over the summer, having all these very public messages that they denounce white supremacy. Why aren’t they putting money [into] this?”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/01/12/airbnb-inauguration-dc-rental

2021-01-10 22:41:26 -0500

100 signatures reached

2021-01-10 20:38:56 -0500

50 signatures reached

2021-01-10 18:09:59 -0500

25 signatures reached

2021-01-10 14:48:44 -0500

10 signatures reached