Vito Catalani and Jamie Shin, the duo made semi-famous by their busker-focused “Tipbombing” effort from a year ago, have returned to raise awareness of the plight of their New York City neighbors — specifically the Big Apple’s homeless population.
How? The pair have posted several AirBnB postings that feature the usual vivid descriptors but with one major caveat: there is no bed or breakfast for rent under these “listings,” which represent spots around the city in which homeless individuals actually sleep/live.
With the “Homeless AirBnb” project, which features listings such as “one bedroom in Union Square for $12 per night,” 100 percent of profits from people who rent the “rooms” will go to non-profit charities aiding those left out in the cold including New York Rescue Mission, Goddard Riverside and the Jericho Project.
Regarding their effort, Catalani (who has spent time on the creative side at Ogilvy, BBH, and more) says, “There’s a whole different city we ignore out there, and its residents are all homeless.”