AirBnB Homeless charity defends renting out pods
ALEADING Christian charity working with homeless people has defended its decision to rent out two ‘pods’ it has created with beds and showers on AirBnb and charge people up to £220 a night.
Emmaus, which runs charity shops around Bristol and is one of the city’s leading homelessness charities, has recently opened the pods as part of a bigger development to create new homes on the roof of its headquarters in St Pauls.
This month, the charity began advertising the two pods, which include a double bed, shower room but no kitchen on AirBnB, but came in for criticism on social media.
The two pods, which the charity has christened Carmen and Delores, are built on stilts above the charity’s warehouse yard, in a spot it says is a prime one close to Lakota nightclub and Stokes Croft.
Prices for a minimum two-night stay are £264 for a weekend in December, and in May that rises to £443 for two nights.
The ‘sleep pods’ are advertised as a ‘remarkable little spot to rest your head after enjoying the delights of Bristol, with the bars, cafes and eateries of Stokes Croft on your doorstep.’
“Our Eco Sleep Pods are made using straw fibre insulation and built on a timber frame surrounding our lovely silver birch tree,” the listing on AirBnB said.
“The space is a hotel room on stilts, you’ll have a spacious balcony with your own front door, studio bedroom and private shower room,” they added. The pods are small, however. “This is an Eco Sleep Pod, so you won’t find a wardrobe, luggage rack or air con, instead, you’ll find a small cupboard for storage, a heater for winter visits and we’ve upcycled donated items to make coat hooks for your wall,” they added.
The charity came in for criticism on social media for advertising the two pods on AirBnB.
Michael Rogers tweeted a reply to Emmaus. “Do you think homelessness could be anything to do with properties being built to generate income, not to actually house people in permanent homes? Why not build these facilities to house the homeless?” he asked.
The Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, has spoken about the ‘wicked challenges’ caused by the growing number of AirBnB properties in Bristol, especially in areas where rent prices are already spiralling.
But Emmaus defended its decision to rent out these pods.
In 2020, the charity got planning permission to build 15 ‘eco-homes’ on the roof of its office building at Backfields House, to create what it described as a new ‘rooftop community.’
“The main motivation behind the initiative is to provide affordable homes for people who are ready to move out of our supported housing,” chief executive Jessica Hodge said at the time.
“When someone joins our Emmaus Bristol community, they work fulltime in our shops to gain new skills and build up their CV, and receive daily support, mentoring and training so they can rebuild their life.”
The two ‘sleep pods’ are a separate smaller development, on stilts above the back yard entrance of the Backfields House site, and Emmaus said they would not be suitable for someone to live in permanently.
“They’ll be used to provide long term financial support for residents. They don’t take from housing stock and are too small for living in so provide a holiday option that isn’t a potential home,” they added.