Airbnb Open Homes Application for Relocation Vouchers
Airbnb Open Homes Application for Relocation Vouchers
FAQs QUESTIONS ABOUT AIRBNB What is Airbnb? Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone or tablet. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 191 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions. To learn more, visit airbnb.com.
What is an Airbnb voucher? An Airbnb voucher is a coupon code with a maximum value to apply towards a reservation. It looks like a series of letters and/or numbers, and each voucher is unique. Vouchers can be used for one reservation only and have expiration dates.
Do vouchers have an expiration date? Vouchers in this program will have an expiration date of 12/31/16, reflecting the last day of Airbnb and Service Year Alliance’s 2016 partnership.
How do you use the voucher? Please follow these instructions to understand how vouchers are used. First-time Airbnb guests will need to enter credit card information in the Billing Information section. Even if the voucher covers the entire cost of a reservation, it still requires credit card information to be on file though the card will not be charged.
Are there any hidden fees associated with using the vouchers? Fees for Airbnb listings are determined by their Airbnb hosts. All fees and taxes are outlined on the Airbnb listing at the point of booking.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AIRBNB OPEN HOMES + SERVICE YEAR ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP How many vouchers are available? We are offering 150 Airbnb vouchers valued up to $750 USD to help service year corps members relocate at the beginning of their service years in Austin, TX, Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA.
Why is each voucher valued up to $750? Based on Airbnb’s average nightly rate for a private room in Austin, TX, Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA, $750 should get most relocating service year corps members between 6-10 nights in their new cities.
Why did you decide to focus the vouchers in Austin, Chicago, and Los Angeles? These cities have rich service communities and thousands of service year corps members every year. They are also cities with significant Airbnb host communities.
You piloted this partnership last year. How did that go? Great! Last year, we were able to help 57 service year corps members relocate in 14 different regions. Approximately 75% of participants were new or infrequent Airbnb users. All participants shared positive experiences, and last year’s pilot further confirmed the need for this support.
Is there financial support available for other expenses associated with relocation (airfare, transportation, etc)? This program exclusively covers lodging through Airbnb.com (e.g. Airbnb rental cost, service fees, etc). All other expenses associated with relocation are not covered by this program.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ELIGIBILITY Does my organization have to be on the Service Year Exchange to be eligible to apply? Yes. Airbnb vouchers will be distributed via the Service Year Exchange, so organizations need to have at least started the certification process at the time of application to be selected for this program. You can learn more about getting your position(s) certified here.
My organization has service year corps members starting in Austin, Chicago, and/or Los Angeles, but not until after September 1, 2016. Can we still apply for Airbnb vouchers? Yes, you can still apply. However, this program is aiming to help service year corps members relocate over the summer, so preference will be given to those who move before September 1, 2016. If we have extra vouchers, we will consider support for service year corps members relocating after September 1, 2016.
My organization doesn’t have service year corps members in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Are we eligible? Unfortunately, no. While we want to support all service year corps members, we have a limited number of vouchers to disburse this year. We selected these cities to focus the vouchers, and only service year corps members beginning service years in Austin, Chicago, and Los Angeles will be eligible.
My organization doesn’t have service year corps members in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles, but we will before the year is out. Are we eligible? As long as you are certified on Service Year Exchange and you are operating in our focus cities, you can apply. Preference will go to organizations who can put the vouchers to use immediately.
My organization has part-time corps members or volunteers in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Are we eligible? Unfortunately, no. These vouchers are intended to support full-time service year corps members. Full-time is defined as 9-24 months of service, 32+ hours of service per week.
My service year corps members live locally, so they are not relocating to begin their service year. Can they still get Airbnb vouchers through this partnership? Unfortunately, no. These vouchers are intended to support full-time service year corps members who need help relocating to a new city to begin their service years.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SELECTION How many organizations are going to be selected? We do not have particular number of partner organizations in mind, but we hope to work with a small group of diverse organizations in all three cities so that we can meet a significant portion of their needs, rather than spreading the vouchers across a large number of organizations.
Why do you ask what percentage of my service year members are Pell Grant recipients? As much as possible, the vouchers are intended to help service year corps members who need it most. Understanding how many of your corps members are Pell Grant recipients gives us some insight into their backgrounds so we can help those most in need.
When will I know if my organization is selected for vouchers? Selected organizations will be contacted via email between 5/31/16 – 6/3/16.
QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICIATION Can I get more than one voucher for a service year corps member? No, only one voucher per service year corps member.
Can a service year corps member book an Airbnb listing and have other relocating service year corps members stay with them? That is up to the service year corps member and the Airbnb host. This program does not have restrictions for that.
Can a service year corps member use the voucher for travel to their service city? Or just when they arrive? Vouchers must be used in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles when service year corps members arrive to begin their service years. They are not able to be used to support the actual move to their service city.
Can a service year corps member have family or friends stay with them in the Airbnb? That is up to the service year corps member and the Airbnb host. This program does not have restrictions for that.
Which Airbnb listings can service year corps members book? All listings available on Airbnb.com are options for service year corps members. Service year corps members are responsible for identifying the Airbnb listing of their choice and making their reservation independently. While we hope service year corps members can find Airbnb listings that accommodate their preferences, options are subject to availability.
What is the September 1st deadline? Do my service year members need to move by then? No, but we are aiming to have all reservations booked by September 1st.
My organization currently has one recruitment listing for all of our service opportunities across the country. Does this work, or do we need to create a recruitment listing specifically for the process? To apply, you only need your current listing. During the ramp up period, we will work with selected organizations to create separate recruitment listings for each applicable location. This will allow us to tag the recruitment listing and display it publicly as having an opportunity for relocation assistance. You can still use a national recruitment listing for all of your other opportunities.
What do I do if I have questions? We’re happy to help! You can sign in to the Service Year Exchange and start a chat or email support@ serviceyr.org!
WHAT IF... What if my service year corps members spend more than $750 to relocate? The voucher works like a coupon code at check-out. So, if a service year corps member wants to make a reservation that totals OVER $750, they can definitely do that. $750 will be deducted when they enter the voucher code at check-out, and the difference is the responsibility of the service year corps member and charged to the credit card associated with their Airbnb account.
What if my service year corps members spend less than $750 to relocate? The voucher works like a coupon code at check-out. So, if a service year corps member wants to make a reservation that totals UNDER $750, the total will drop to $0 when they enter the voucher code at checkout. When this happens, we assume the service year corps members met their relocation needs and they will not have access to the remaining funds for future use.
What if my service year corps members want to try out a few different neighborhoods before they know where they want to find permanent housing for their year? Vouchers are one-time use and can only be used to make one reservation. If a service year corps member wants to explore different neighborhoods, this program can be used to help them explore one of the neighborhoods.
I understand the Airbnb vouchers are meant to cover temporary housing while service year corps members relocate to their service city. What if my service year corps member relocates and doesn’t find permanent housing after their Airbnb reservation ends? We encourage service year corps members to start looking for permanent housing soon after arriving to their Airbnb. Airbnb hosts can be great resources for neighborhood recommendations! That said, this program is designed to provide TEMPORARY HOUSING, and extensions of vouchers will not be supported by this program.
What if my service year corps members have never used Airbnb before? No problem! In fact, about 75% of service year corps members in our 2015 pilot of this program were new or infrequent Airbnb users, and they had great experiences! Service year corps members can learn more about how to travel with Airbnb here. When they receive the email with the voucher, Service Year Alliance will provide instructions and resources that will help firsttime guests.
QUESTIONS FROM THOSE ORGANIZATIONS SELECTED My organization was selected. What is the next step? Selected organizations will hear from Service Year Alliance by 6/3/16. At that point, you will work with Service Year Alliance staff during the “ramp up period,” which includes getting your SYx recruitment listing ready with Airbnb relocation support and walking you through the process to enroll service year corps members.
What do you mean by enroll corps members?
The Service Year Exchange allows you to enroll your accepted and serving corps members so that they can have access to existing and future benefits. Beyond benefits from this partnership with Airbnb, benefits also include the ability for service year corps members to track and share about their service year through text and photos, and eligibility to receive a Certificate of Completion at the successful end of their service year. Future features will include access to community forums, opportunities to receive micro-credentials and badges, and additional corps member rewards. You can enroll your service year corps members in the Service Year Exchange once they have joined, created a profile, and expressed interest in the appropriate recruitment listing.
My organization was selected. How many vouchers can my organization expect? Just one or two? Vouchers will be distributed to partner organizations on a case-by-case basis and communicated at selection. We will review all applications to understand organizations’ needs and assess the best way to disburse the vouchers. We prefer to work with a small group of diverse organizations and meet a significant portion of their needs, rather than spreading the vouchers across a large number of organizations.
My organization was selected. When will my service year members be able to access the vouchers to move? June 15, 2016.
My organization was selected. Are there any reporting obligations? Selected partners and service year corps members will be asked to fill out a short survey about the partnership this fall. At that time, we will also ask for stories and pictures from participants so we can tell the world about this partnership.
My organization was selected. What kind of support can I expect over the next few months? Selected organizations will work closely with the Service Year Alliance team during the ramp up period (6/3/16 – 6/15/16). Service Year Alliance staff will also be available throughout the entire partnership in case any challenges or opportunities arise.
We look forward to working with you this year! If you have further questions, please contact us at [email protected] or sign in to the Service Year Exchange and start a chat!
FAQs QUESTIONS ABOUT AIRBNB What is Airbnb? Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone or tablet. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 191 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions. To learn more, visit airbnb.com.
What is an Airbnb voucher? An Airbnb voucher is a coupon code with a maximum value to apply towards a reservation. It looks like a series of letters and/or numbers, and each voucher is unique. Vouchers can be used for one reservation only and have expiration dates.
Do vouchers have an expiration date? Vouchers in this program will have an expiration date of 12/31/16, reflecting the last day of Airbnb and Service Year Alliance’s 2016 partnership.
How do you use the voucher? Please follow these instructions to understand how vouchers are used. First-time Airbnb guests will need to enter credit card information in the Billing Information section. Even if the voucher covers the entire cost of a reservation, it still requires credit card information to be on file though the card will not be charged.
Are there any hidden fees associated with using the vouchers? Fees for Airbnb listings are determined by their Airbnb hosts. All fees and taxes are outlined on the Airbnb listing at the point of booking.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AIRBNB OPEN HOMES + SERVICE YEAR ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP How many vouchers are available? We are offering 150 Airbnb vouchers valued up to $750 USD to help service year corps members relocate at the beginning of their service years in Austin, TX, Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA.
Why is each voucher valued up to $750? Based on Airbnb’s average nightly rate for a private room in Austin, TX, Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA, $750 should get most relocating service year corps members between 6-10 nights in their new cities.
Why did you decide to focus the vouchers in Austin, Chicago, and Los Angeles? These cities have rich service communities and thousands of service year corps members every year. They are also cities with significant Airbnb host communities.
You piloted this partnership last year. How did that go? Great! Last year, we were able to help 57 service year corps members relocate in 14 different regions. Approximately 75% of participants were new or infrequent Airbnb users. All participants shared positive experiences, and last year’s pilot further confirmed the need for this support.
Is there financial support available for other expenses associated with relocation (airfare, transportation, etc)? This program exclusively covers lodging through Airbnb.com (e.g. Airbnb rental cost, service fees, etc). All other expenses associated with relocation are not covered by this program.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ELIGIBILITY Does my organization have to be on the Service Year Exchange to be eligible to apply? Yes. Airbnb vouchers will be distributed via the Service Year Exchange, so organizations need to have at least started the certification process at the time of application to be selected for this program. You can learn more about getting your position(s) certified here.
My organization has service year corps members starting in Austin, Chicago, and/or Los Angeles, but not until after September 1, 2016. Can we still apply for Airbnb vouchers? Yes, you can still apply. However, this program is aiming to help service year corps members relocate over the summer, so preference will be given to those who move before September 1, 2016. If we have extra vouchers, we will consider support for service year corps members relocating after September 1, 2016.
My organization doesn’t have service year corps members in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Are we eligible? Unfortunately, no. While we want to support all service year corps members, we have a limited number of vouchers to disburse this year. We selected these cities to focus the vouchers, and only service year corps members beginning service years in Austin, Chicago, and Los Angeles will be eligible.
My organization doesn’t have service year corps members in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles, but we will before the year is out. Are we eligible? As long as you are certified on Service Year Exchange and you are operating in our focus cities, you can apply. Preference will go to organizations who can put the vouchers to use immediately.
My organization has part-time corps members or volunteers in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Are we eligible? Unfortunately, no. These vouchers are intended to support full-time service year corps members. Full-time is defined as 9-24 months of service, 32+ hours of service per week.
My service year corps members live locally, so they are not relocating to begin their service year. Can they still get Airbnb vouchers through this partnership? Unfortunately, no. These vouchers are intended to support full-time service year corps members who need help relocating to a new city to begin their service years.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SELECTION How many organizations are going to be selected? We do not have particular number of partner organizations in mind, but we hope to work with a small group of diverse organizations in all three cities so that we can meet a significant portion of their needs, rather than spreading the vouchers across a large number of organizations.
Why do you ask what percentage of my service year members are Pell Grant recipients? As much as possible, the vouchers are intended to help service year corps members who need it most. Understanding how many of your corps members are Pell Grant recipients gives us some insight into their backgrounds so we can help those most in need.
When will I know if my organization is selected for vouchers? Selected organizations will be contacted via email between 5/31/16 – 6/3/16.
QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICIATION Can I get more than one voucher for a service year corps member? No, only one voucher per service year corps member.
Can a service year corps member book an Airbnb listing and have other relocating service year corps members stay with them? That is up to the service year corps member and the Airbnb host. This program does not have restrictions for that.
Can a service year corps member use the voucher for travel to their service city? Or just when they arrive? Vouchers must be used in Austin, Chicago, or Los Angeles when service year corps members arrive to begin their service years. They are not able to be used to support the actual move to their service city.
Can a service year corps member have family or friends stay with them in the Airbnb? That is up to the service year corps member and the Airbnb host. This program does not have restrictions for that.
Which Airbnb listings can service year corps members book? All listings available on Airbnb.com are options for service year corps members. Service year corps members are responsible for identifying the Airbnb listing of their choice and making their reservation independently. While we hope service year corps members can find Airbnb listings that accommodate their preferences, options are subject to availability.
What is the September 1st deadline? Do my service year members need to move by then? No, but we are aiming to have all reservations booked by September 1st.
My organization currently has one recruitment listing for all of our service opportunities across the country. Does this work, or do we need to create a recruitment listing specifically for the process? To apply, you only need your current listing. During the ramp up period, we will work with selected organizations to create separate recruitment listings for each applicable location. This will allow us to tag the recruitment listing and display it publicly as having an opportunity for relocation assistance. You can still use a national recruitment listing for all of your other opportunities.
What do I do if I have questions? We’re happy to help! You can sign in to the Service Year Exchange and start a chat or email support@ serviceyr.org!
WHAT IF... What if my service year corps members spend more than $750 to relocate? The voucher works like a coupon code at check-out. So, if a service year corps member wants to make a reservation that totals OVER $750, they can definitely do that. $750 will be deducted when they enter the voucher code at check-out, and the difference is the responsibility of the service year corps member and charged to the credit card associated with their Airbnb account.
What if my service year corps members spend less than $750 to relocate? The voucher works like a coupon code at check-out. So, if a service year corps member wants to make a reservation that totals UNDER $750, the total will drop to $0 when they enter the voucher code at checkout. When this happens, we assume the service year corps members met their relocation needs and they will not have access to the remaining funds for future use.
What if my service year corps members want to try out a few different neighborhoods before they know where they want to find permanent housing for their year? Vouchers are one-time use and can only be used to make one reservation. If a service year corps member wants to explore different neighborhoods, this program can be used to help them explore one of the neighborhoods.
I understand the Airbnb vouchers are meant to cover temporary housing while service year corps members relocate to their service city. What if my service year corps member relocates and doesn’t find permanent housing after their Airbnb reservation ends? We encourage service year corps members to start looking for permanent housing soon after arriving to their Airbnb. Airbnb hosts can be great resources for neighborhood recommendations! That said, this program is designed to provide TEMPORARY HOUSING, and extensions of vouchers will not be supported by this program.
What if my service year corps members have never used Airbnb before? No problem! In fact, about 75% of service year corps members in our 2015 pilot of this program were new or infrequent Airbnb users, and they had great experiences! Service year corps members can learn more about how to travel with Airbnb here. When they receive the email with the voucher, Service Year Alliance will provide instructions and resources that will help firsttime guests.
QUESTIONS FROM THOSE ORGANIZATIONS SELECTED My organization was selected. What is the next step? Selected organizations will hear from Service Year Alliance by 6/3/16. At that point, you will work with Service Year Alliance staff during the “ramp up period,” which includes getting your SYx recruitment listing ready with Airbnb relocation support and walking you through the process to enroll service year corps members.
What do you mean by enroll corps members?
The Service Year Exchange allows you to enroll your accepted and serving corps members so that they can have access to existing and future benefits. Beyond benefits from this partnership with Airbnb, benefits also include the ability for service year corps members to track and share about their service year through text and photos, and eligibility to receive a Certificate of Completion at the successful end of their service year. Future features will include access to community forums, opportunities to receive micro-credentials and badges, and additional corps member rewards. You can enroll your service year corps members in the Service Year Exchange once they have joined, created a profile, and expressed interest in the appropriate recruitment listing.
My organization was selected. How many vouchers can my organization expect? Just one or two? Vouchers will be distributed to partner organizations on a case-by-case basis and communicated at selection. We will review all applications to understand organizations’ needs and assess the best way to disburse the vouchers. We prefer to work with a small group of diverse organizations and meet a significant portion of their needs, rather than spreading the vouchers across a large number of organizations.
My organization was selected. When will my service year members be able to access the vouchers to move? June 15, 2016.
My organization was selected. Are there any reporting obligations? Selected partners and service year corps members will be asked to fill out a short survey about the partnership this fall. At that time, we will also ask for stories and pictures from participants so we can tell the world about this partnership.
My organization was selected. What kind of support can I expect over the next few months? Selected organizations will work closely with the Service Year Alliance team during the ramp up period (6/3/16 – 6/15/16). Service Year Alliance staff will also be available throughout the entire partnership in case any challenges or opportunities arise.
We look forward to working with you this year! If you have further questions, please contact us at [email protected] or sign in to the Service Year Exchange and start a chat!
