Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven
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Airbnb.org Donation to support displaced Ukrainians arriving in Canada under the ‘Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel’
Introduction
Airbnb.org signed a partnership with Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) to offer vital emergency stays to individuals and families impacted by displacement in Ukraine.
CCIS worked with Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven/ Opération havre de paix pour les Ukrainiens (OUSH-OHPU) to assist in connecting displaced Ukrainians with Airbnb.org emergency stays across Canada. Together with service provider organizations (SPOs), OUSH-OHPU arranged temporary accommodations for clients across Canada as more displaced Ukrainians continued to arrive on charter planes.
Established in 1981, CCIS has been a community leader with solid experience in the design and delivery of comprehensive services for our newest neighbours. CCIS delivers these services through a dynamic multi-cultural, multi-denominational and multi-disciplinary team of professionals, who collectively speak over 60 languages.
OUSH-OHPU is a national and coordinated initiative to bridge and link communications and resources with key stakeholders involved with supporting Ukrainians coming to Canada. In its mission to facilitate the post-arrival phase of the humanitarian operation, OUSH-OHPU collaborates with approximately 190 immigrant-serving agencies across the country, providing connections to a range of support initiatives in different provinces and territories.
OUSH-OHPU has prepared this report to provide detailed insights into the donations management process. It covers the allocation and distribution of donations, informed by data, and includes impactful stories from the ground, showcasing the positive outcomes resulting from this donation.
As part of the Government of Canada’s ongoing commitment to support Ukrainians, the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) was introduced in March 2022. This program aims to assist the people of Ukraine by offering them temporary status and opportunities to work, study, and reside in Canada until it becomes safe for them to return home.
This report is also available in PDF format.
Distribution Process
Airbnb.org’s donation to fund emergency stays for displaced Ukrainians was made available to all provinces and territories in Canada based on the specific needs identified.
In collaboration with provincial and territorial coordinating partners, OUSH-OHPU facilitated the allocation and coordination of this donation. To ensure fairness across provinces and territories, the allocation amount was determined using available data, including Financial Assistance data from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). This data provided percentages of displaced Ukrainians who had applied for financial assistance in each province. Additionally, OUSH-OHPU and its provincial and territorial partners continued to adjust allocations to respond to urgent needs in provinces that reported unexpected increase in new arrivals or unanticipated change in previously available short term housing options. In partnership with the provincial and territorial counterparts, Canadian settlement agencies submitted booking requests to CCIS to secure two-week emergency temporary stays for displaced Ukrainians upon their arrival in Canada.
The table below presents the initial stage of the allocation process, which relied on the Financial Assistance data from ESDC, indicating the percentages of displaced Ukrainians in each province and territory. This approach ensured equitable distribution across provinces and territories.
To guide the submission of booking requests to CCIS, a comprehensive process map (see Annex 1) and guidelines were developed and shared with provincial and territorial partners, as well as settlement agencies. Additionally, a webinar was organized to address any practical queries and ensure a seamless process for all involved parties.
| TOTAL | ON | AB | QC | BC | MB | SK | NS | NB | NL | PEI | NU, YK, YT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESDC Financial Assistance (%) (data from August, 2022) | 100 | 44.1 | 16.7 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 7.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.04 |
| Total Nights Booked | 2,520 | 1,238 | 545 | 155 | 282 | 116 | 140 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
* Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador initially decided not to utilize the housing support allocated to them through the Airbnb.org donation
Table 1: Total nights booked by each Province
Distribution Visualization
OUSH-OHPU has developed an interactive map to visualize the locations where temporary housing was utilized.
The interactive visualization enables a comprehensive understanding of the donation’s impact and its extensive coverage across Canada.
In total, 2,520 nights were booked to provide housing to displaced Ukrainians throughout the country:
- By 26 settlement agencies in 8 Canadian provinces and territories
- In 28 different cities/communities
- From larger cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Calgary, Ottawa to smaller centres
- 531 individuals and 402 families benefited from the housing donation
Program & Platform
As the Government of Canada announced extension of immigration measures for displaced Ukrainians, housing continues to be the prime need for newcomers. Support in providing emergency stays provides a vital opportunity for settlement sector to plan effectively for newcomers’ transition and navigating longer term housing options.
The generous donation from Airbnb.org has proven to be an excellent initiative, providing short-term accommodations that serve as a crucial bridge for displaced persons upon their arrival, allowing them to prepare for their transition to longer-term housing options. This support has been invaluable for service provider organizations, as it has provided them with the opportunity to accommodate their clients while actively supporting them in their search for suitable long-term housing solutions.
The collaboration with Airbnb.org has been instrumental in guiding OUSH-OHPU and CCIS to develop a webinar, specifically designed for settlement agencies, which offers comprehensive orientation on the request referral process and housing guidance. This orientation package assisted SPOs in assessing emergency nature of requests and identifying clients with such unique needs.
Airbnb.org’s donation was an opportunity for both CCIS and OUSH-OHPU to collaborate in implementing the donation. During the implementation of the program, one staff member from CCIS diligently managed the receipt and processing of booking requests. Additionally, the data team from OUSH-OHPU regularly accessed the partner dashboard to closely monitor the expenses related to the booking process. This oversight was crucial to ensure the efficient utilization of the donation within the allocated budget and to guarantee the completion of the donation within the stipulated time frame. Despite experiencing difficulties accessing the Airbnb.org dashboard following a domain change from CISSA-ACSEI to AMSSA, we were able to overcome this obstacle by utilizing the CSV export feature, which provided a comprehensive dataset, enabling us to effectively monitor and track our expenditures. The operation was unable to widely promote the donation, which would have informed a broader range of Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) and clients about the existing opportunity for short-term housing. Recognizing our donors and effectively communicating the impact of their meaningful contributions is essential for upholding transparency, accountability, and fostering increased support through additional donations.
The Impact "in their words..."
To raise awareness and highlight the incredible stories and contributions of businesses in supporting displaced Ukrainians in Canada, OUSH-OHPU has developed a video series to share the human side of migration stories, helping to provide context behind the numbers and encourage others to get involved.
As the operation assessed emergency nature of requests, and prioritized clients with emergency needs, it was able to assist Ukrainians with urgent needs. These stories show different perspectives, whether hearing directly from displaced Ukrainians, the volunteers that are lending a hand, or the settlement workers coordinating on the ground.
Due to financial limitations, videos are not professionally shot. These videos will be shared on OUSH-OHPU’s online platforms, including web and social media.
Given the sensitive nature of the Ukrainian conflict, we offered the possibility to participants to not reveal their identity.
Thank you, Merci Airbnb.org! Дякую!
OUSH-OHPU, the Government of Canada, the provincial and territorial coordinating partners, as well as the settlement agencies would like to join their voice to those of the displaced Ukrainians to thank Airbnb.org for their generous donation and the impact it had in the lives of displaced people in need. Дякую!