‘Airbnb’ in wartime: The Israeli app connecting the homeless with housing
‘Airbnb’ in wartime: The Israeli app connecting the homeless with housing
The volunteer initiative helps connect thousands of Israelis who have had to leave their homes either due to safety or destruction
A group of Israelis belonging to one of Startup Nation’s tech companies have established a mobile and desktop app that helps partner those who recently became homeless with private homes, hotels, and other areas volunteering their spaces. ‘Makom Batuach’ was launched earlier this month and already has thousands of connections, with more being made on average every two minutes.
“It is wonderful to see how many good people around Israel are here for each other,” said Tamir Magen, one of the several people who established the initiative and currently serving in the IDF. “I can’t even count the initiatives from the great people and great companies. I think most of the initiatives are not seeking credit - just doing good.”
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200,000 Israelis have been internally displaced since the start of the war.
(Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
‘Makom Batuach’ aggregates all those willing to share their homes or locations with folks who urgently need a place to stay. These include soldiers, families, or individuals who have either had their homes destroyed by Hamas or who have been forced to leave their homes due to security threats.
Since the 7/10 attacks, roughly 200,000 Israelis have been internally displaced amid the war with Gaza and increased tensions in the north due to Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions. Ynet had reported that 56,000 hotel rooms meet the criteria for hosting people and families displaced by the war - but many need to close due to their inability to host in wartime.
