How we’re giving hosts a seat at the table

[Airbnb]

 

You may have seen a letter from our CEO Brian Chesky this week with some important announcements for our community. In case you missed it, we’re launching a formal program to give hosts a seat at the table, and an opportunity to take part in our company’s success.

It’s made up of two equally important parts:

• Airbnb Host Advisory Board: A diverse group of hosts on Airbnb who meet regularly with Airbnb executives to represent the host community's voice and make sure that hosts’ ideas are heard
• Airbnb Host Endowment: A fund that is intended to provide support to our host community now and in the future, which we expect will be initially funded with 9.2 million shares of Airbnb stock 

You can read much more about the programs here.

We’re looking forward to introducing the Advisory Board before the end of the year.

[Ria16]

Thanks @Katie  Most helpful 
I only come to this forum so have never seen any commentary of those folk pictured in the community leaders section. But i guess there is Australasian input that would address our differing  needs .
Thank you .

[Katie]

Yes, there should be @Ria16, and by sharing your own feedback here in the Community Center, your voice will also be heard 😊

[Inna22]

@Katie is this a new program- the leadership one? To me it sounded like something that has existed already. Also, how would it be reconciled in areas where there is already a strong local feedback group? It would be difficult to get someone join a group of 1 when there is already a group of a 1000 plus it would seem hostile to begin a competing group.

[Katie]

Hey @Inna22, happy to clarify as I know the Host Leaders groups aren't familiar for everyone here on the CC 😊 

We launched our Leaders program several years ago, and this group supports over 500 local groups around the world. Anyone can apply for the program, regardless of whether or not there’s an existing group in their area. While we typically try to keep it to one group in every location, a host can describe their unique situation in their application, and someone from the team will reach out to them. You can learn more (or apply!) here.

[J-Renato0]

If by any chance Mr Brian Chesky and other´s read this, that is my honest opinion. @Brian  

I think the best way to hear the hosts is to read this community from time to time.
See what the common hosts have to say, and not only what some chosen to sit with you have to say.

It will create an "elite of political hosts!" From my point of view, we do not need this type of bureau, since there is the internet and the community here that can put Airbnb directly in contact with the hosts.

If Airbnb had heard what thousands of guests asked for ... the strict cancellation policy would be really strict. It would not involve or had loopholes for any extenuanting circumstances.
We the host do not want to play the insurance company.

Another thing that Airbnb did without being thoughtful It was about the compensation or reparation funds. Airbnb offered a return to hosts that have only one listing as compensation for having being forced to return full money from the reserves due to the problems with the pandemic.
What a strange criteria!
A host that has a listing which charges $ 2,000 a night was entitled to claim compensation!
While a host that has 2, 3 or 4 listings that charges less than $ 100 a night was not entitled to ask for compensation and have his request analyzed.

Honestly speking I do not want to have someone representing me. I can speak for myself. I think a true host is just a host and profits on its listing. He/She is not a politician to play the role of a representative for the community.

As for the Airbnb Host Endowment, there is some point I think it very strange!
"ONE annual payment to a select group of hosts who contribute most to the Airbnb mission"
Wow..With some humour and with all due respect it sounds like an awarding to the best a... lickers ! 🙂
Instead o it, I hope it will be for the ones who give the best ideas or suggestions to improve Airbnb!

Just my honest opinion.

[Katie]

Hey @J-Renato0, thanks for sharing your feedback here. 

I just wanted to pick up on your last point, about the Host Endowment, to clarify that this is just one example of how the fund could  be used. Airbnb will have sole decision making on all investments, but the proposals we fund will come from or be shaped by the host community. This program will only be successful if hosts feel empowered and supported by it, which is why we’ll meet with the inaugural Host Advisory Board before the end of the year to gather more feedback on our approach and begin shaping the remaining details.

I hope this helps to clarify 😊

[Helen427]

@J-Renato0  just letting you know CEO @Brian  does pop in here, remember to tag him to get his attention 😉

It would be helpful if other Airbnb staff were more readily known and accessible here in CC like @Laura_C Chambers who frequented here, notably TECH TEAM  as they are a necessity to fix the basics of the platform.

Thanks in advance @Brian , maybe you can do that as part of your Website Design Project, and make sure not all of us use Apple or one preferred search engine...

[J-Renato0]

Thank you very much @Helen427  I have edited my post !  🙂

[Peggy300]

Couple of things. 
1. The host support portion of this endowment won’t start until the endowment is $1 billion. 
2. Funding of non-profits or community programs start immediately with $10 million per year. I can only assume this is more dollars going to Black Lives Matter type of organizations. 

So in order to fund this endowment, is Airbnb increasing what hosts or guests must pay as “their share”?  Is Airbnb going to cut more employees? This concerns me as I don’t see investments equally $1 billion in 10 years given the endowment will pay out $10 million a year to the selected non-profits - whoever they are......

[Katie]

Hi @Peggy300, thanks for your comments here. 

In response to your question on donations and grants to other organisations: our community grant program was announced earlier this year and is unrelated to the Host Endowment. 

As you mentioned, we plan to make $10 million in grants each year to support nonprofit organisations or initiatives in hosts’ local communities. While that program is separate from the endowment, the Host Advisory Board will have the ability to influence who we support based on host feedback. These are exactly the kinds of investments we want the Advisory Board to inform.

In answer to your question on the funding of the Endowment, it is intended to be seeded with 9.2 million shares of Airbnb stock—and that contribution of shares is unrelated to our day to day operating costs, such as those you mentioned here.

I hope this helps to clarify 😊

[Kelly149]

yet again another tone-deaf announcement.... "we want to treat hosts well, if only there were someone who could tell us what to do"

So many policies have roundly and thoroughly been explained over and over again as to why they're problematic. In fact, one can only conclude that many of the policies that most bother hosts are a feature not a bug. Therefore, the problem is not a knowledge problem but an attitude problem and a committee can't fix that.

the whole, look-at-us-we're-so-fancy-like-harvard-with-a-big-endowment, is the big talk that ABB is known for, all hat, no cattle. How about the business gets run in a way that Already supports hosts so that emergency bailout isn't necessary. And the pie in the sky, 'this will be useful once it hits a Billion dollars' just showcases how out of touch ABB leadership is with where Hosts live

[Cathie19]

@Kelly149 , I always LOVE a hat analogy....

My dad use to say, the bigger the hat, the smaller the property! Lol...

[Fred13]

Actually I consider this idea a new opportunity to improve Airbnb, not for just hosts, not only for guests, but specially for Airbnb which I consider of utmost importance. No arrangement lasts too long if its one-sided, those that are a fair symbiosis to all parties lasts, those that are not do not.

   For starter, it is not hard for me to appreciate how Airbnb, specifically, has changed for the better the economic lot (aka freedom) for multitudes of humans throughout the world. How exactly, would one individually go about advertising at large (aka to the world) what one has to individually offer for such a fortunately small fee and to such numbers? They created a unique opportunity for individual people that wasn't available just 10 years ago; and they are indeed different than VRBO, Bookings.com, etc.

   Covid 19 will not permanently change human nature that's for sure, but it has made many more receptive to different ways of thinking and I am sure Airbnb is today highly motivated anew in doing a better job in the future. Why wouldn't they be? Yes, they are young and at times unwise, but they are not stupid. 

   For all the above reasons and because I am a grateful person without cynicism, they can count on me personally (once more) to give my time to improve what in reality has been a fantastic product in the grand scheme of things. It's certainly worth preserving. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Fred13 

You’ve been there, done that and achieved NOTHING.

Why will this time be any different ?

More jollies for a chosen few who will toe the corporate line it sounds like. There’s already plenty of advice and broken stuff needing fixing without giving it a departmental name.

[Fred13]

   Why would you assume nothing was accomplished? Why would you assume that willing to work with Airbnb is toeing the corporate line?  Me? Be serious.

    I can see both sides of things because I been in business all my life and I have a very clear understanding of human nature.