Airbnb
Housing Accelerator

What is the Airbnb Housing Accelerator?
The Airbnb Housing Accelerator is a project designed to help communities build more housing by investing in construction, supporting policy reforms, and partnering with local advocates working to make building new housing easier.

How much is Airbnb investing in housing, and where is the money going?
Airbnb will make an initial investment of $250 million to help develop thousands of new housing units, focusing on projects that are approved and nearly fully funded but need “last-dollar” financing to move forward. As these investments close, we’ll reinvest the proceeds into more housing projects.

What is “last-dollar” financing?
Last-dollar financing helps housing projects that are almost fully funded, and makes sure that more homes actually get built.

Right now, an estimated 750,000 multifamily homes across the US are ready to build, but are stuck just steps shy of breaking ground.

Why is Airbnb involved in housing policy?
Housing is a major part of the larger affordability crisis and core to Airbnb’s mission. Our founders started Airbnb in part to help afford their own rent, and hosts continue to use it to make ends meet. We’re using our platform and resources to help make the cities our hosts and guests call home more affordable for everyone.

What policy reforms does Airbnb support?

• Zoning reform: Allowing for greater housing density, especially near jobs and transit.
• Permitting reform: Making it faster, easier, and less costly to approve new housing.
• Simplified building codes: Removing outdated or unnecessarily-complex requirements.
• Limiting impact fees: Reducing fees that make new housing more expensive to build.

Is restricting short-term rentals a viable way to address housing shortages?
Studies have shown that restrictive short-term rental rules have not led to lower rents or increased availability of housing in cities like New York, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. Insufficient housing supply and housing prices outpacing income growth are the largest contributors to shortages.

I have a project. Will Airbnb invest in it?
If you are developing a multi-family project of 100+ units in the US, and need last-dollar funding, please complete the form on this page. Airbnb will review all entries and contact your team if your project is a potential fit.

How can I get involved or learn more?
We encourage you to start local––reach out to and support housing advocates and organizations in your area. For more from Airbnb, check out our official updates.