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Airbnb, major corporations and nonprofits supplied emergency housing, donations and millions in philanthropic aid, state officials say
Summary
Cal OES testimony summarized private‑sector and philanthropic contributions: Airbnb provided more than $26 million in credits for evacuees, major corporations donated funds to local foundations, and nonprofit donation hubs distributed cash, goods and volunteer support to thousands of families.
State Cal OES officials told a California Assembly joint oversight hearing that private‑sector and philanthropic partners have contributed emergency housing, supplies and cash aid to wildfire survivors in Los Angeles.
Abby Browning, chief of private sector and nonprofit coordination at Cal OES, said Airbnb provided evacuation housing credits to more than 25,000 people totaling over $26 million, and that companies including Uber and Lyft provided free rides, meals and freight services to support sheltering operations. Browning said corporate donations and philanthropy had generated roughly $254 million in vetted funds and that large corporate donations to established funds were also flowing to local organizations.
Nut graf: Browning summarized a mix of in‑kind and cash support — short‑term housing credits, food and supplies, specialized PPE for debris work, electronics for displaced students, and coordinated distribution hubs — that supplemented government services at disaster recovery centers and site‑specific resource hubs.
Cal OES and partners reported that a donation hub in Pasadena, run with nonprofit and health system partners, distributed $8,000,459 in immediate cash aid and $2,000,900 in goods over six days and served 12,725 families, supported by more than 1,250 volunteers. The private sector also donated logistics and equipment (for example, donated forklifts and P100 masks) and corporate philanthropy supported larger grants to local nonprofits.
Ending: Officials said private and nonprofit contributions would remain an essential supplement to federal and local programs, and they encouraged survivors to connect with DRCs and coordinated hubs to ensure in‑kind and financial assistance were routed to verified local providers.
