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Drew Meyers

Stay a Night, Give a Night - Couchsurfing to end homelessness

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Stay a Night, Give a Night is a creative program to allocate tourism dollars to one of Seattle’s most pressing social issues: homelessness.

Travelers stay with a local during their visit to Seattle. As thanks for host's hospitality, for every night they stay, they fund the equivalent of one night's shelter for a homeless child at Mary's Place.

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Drew Meyers
Maker
We've been working on @gethorizonapp for a couple years to facilitate home sharing / hospitality exchange among friends, friends of friends, and communities (like Peace Corps and StartingBloc). While we've had a giveback model since the beginning (Travel by Giving benefitting Kiva) -- we've made a number of changes in terms of the business for this new model: 1. Shrunk scope/focus from "the world" to "Seattle" 2. Align the giving with homelessness / Mary's Place (an organization we won't have to educate Seattle residents/hosts about) 3. Force pre-payment of the donation ($14 per night minimum + $10 service fee per "stay" to Horizon), and added a sponsorship model. 4. Manually match the traveler & guest (ie not forcing either side of the market to use the product IF they pay the donation & service fee). Like what we're up to? Please join Horizon’s Stay a Night, Give a Night to transform the way travelers experience Seattle by adding purpose to their allocation of tourism dollars. PS: This program is only in Seattle currently, though have heard requests already for expansion to Portland and San Francisco. If you are interested in bringing it to your city, please shoot me an email (drew at horizonapp co).
Ed Tewiah
The more I think of this the more I like it. In Barcelona there is growing hostility to airbnb - such an approach which helps the local community could make quite an impact there!
Drew Meyers
Maker
@africajam Indeed. There is Fairbnb right? How is that project doing?
Ed Tewiah
@drewmeyers I'm not up to date with fairbnb. There is a recognition that change is needed but it will probably take a while for the best alternative approach to gain momentum.
Bryan Copley

Made my first trip to Manhattan the best I've had yet. Wish I would have used it for my last few visits there.

Pros:

Great way to get to know a city and make new friends in the process

Cons:

You should trust the friend who recommends their friend. If so, no cons I can think of.

Seth Siegler
What an awesome idea. I get a good deal on lodging and I get to help a homeless person? Win-win! I'll use this on my next trip to Seattle for sure!