Airbnb co-founder donates $25 million to Bay Area homeless programs

San Francisco Mayor London Breed Wednesday announced that Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia donated $25 million to support Bay Area homeless programs.

Gebbia, who also chairs Airbnb.org that enables hosts to house people in crisis, donated the $25 million to The City’s Rising Up campaign, in partnership with Larkin Youth Services and All Home. The Rising Up campaign is part of The City’s public and private partnership hoping to raise $35 million to reduce youth homelessness by 50 percent by 2023.

The campaign partners with Larkin Youth Services to cover rent subsidies, education and employment services for youth experiencing homelessness. All Home uses a regional approach to address housing needs, and plans to launch a regional homelessness prevention system in the Bay Area.

Breed said in a statement:

“We need the partnership of organizations like Larkin Street Youth and All Home, as well as the support of our philanthropic community. I want to thank Joe Gebbia for his incredibly generous support for these organizations that are working with us day in and day out to support some of our most vulnerable residents.”

Gebbia said in a statement that it was important to support communities, especially during the time of pandemic, adding:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the needs of our communities and I am proud to support the work Rising Up-Larkin Street Youth Services and All Home are doing to improve the lives of so many,”

Sherilyn Adams, executive director of Larkin Street Youth Services and co-chair at Rising Up, said the Gebbia’s donation helps close the gap to reach the mayor’s goal. She said in a statement:

“This gift will provide rapid rehousing to an additional 180 young people and problem solving to prevent an additional 130 youth from ever experiencing homelessness.”

Tomiquia Moss, founder and chief executive of All Home, said in a statement that the donation comes at a critical time with the pandemic highlighting disparities among those who are unsheltered.

Moss said:

“The generous support of Joe Gebbia makes it possible for All Home to deepen our impact in communities throughout the Bay Area. It takes all of us, evey sector, to tackle this problem and I am so grateful to leaders like Joe for leaning in to be a part of the solution.”