Ben Balbo, of OSDC and Melbourne PHP fame and all round nice guy, got together with some workmates and over the space of a couple of days they worked around the clock to build an online service to assist with placing victims into short-term accommodation, matching those in need with people who have a spare bedroom or holiday house or even just a mattress on the floor and are willing to open their homes up to help those in need.
The service is called Australian Bushfire Housing Assistance, and it’s accessible online right now. That’s very cool. Horay for Ben & gang!
Ben’s always been a very practical minded guy. Good on him :)
I’d encourage Ben to get in touch with the folks doing SAHANA
http://www.sahana.lk/
It sounds like another tool to add to it.
(Also a general release for folks who regularly organise billeting for camps and such might be useful too…)