COLORADO, USA — The Marshall Fire left more than 1,000 families looking for a new place to live. Now, owners of short-term rental properties in the metro area are coming together to make it easier and cheaper for survivors of the fire to find a place to stay.
"When the Marshall Fire hit, we were all glued to our TVs in a completely traumatized way," Dana Lubner said. "After the reality sets in, it’s about what can we do to help those in need?"
Lubner sits on Denver’s Short Term Rental Advisory Committee and is with Mile High Hosts, an organization created to help local short-term rental owners connect with one another. Now they’re coming together to offer housing for survivors of the Marshall Fire.
People who usually list their homes on sites like Airbnb or VRBO have created a database to connect homeowners with people who lost their homes in the fire. They’re giving families a place to stay for free or at a reduced rate.
"The outpour of folks who reached out sharing the details of their situation was truly heartbreaking and to watch the list grow rapidly for people who were willing to open their homes was incredible," Lubner said. "A lot of the folks that we’re hearing from are just kind of in this place of shock."
This idea isn’t new. Lubner worked with a team last year to do the same thing in Texas when pipes burst and people lost power in a winter freeze.
Now there’s a new disaster in Colorado. The urge to help is the same.
"This is a model that we actually originally launched with Rent Responsibly in Dallas," Lubner said. "We’re creating more community, and I think that’s what we need the most of."
You can access more information about the program and learn how to sign up here.
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