From junk to survival gear for the homeless

Social Earth has one of those stories that helps you to realize solutions are out there.  Industrial designer Nate Bastien is turning our so-called disposable items into backpacks and shelter for the homeless.  It's quite a story and until we can figure out how to make our goods more durable, re-use is the next best thing.

20 innovations for the homeless

Stone Soup Station, the blog for Nashville's street newspaper, has a feature article on 20 innovations for the Homeless. A few you've seen on this blog; others are new. I particularly like the alternative shelter ideas, such as the cardboard box bed. Check it out.

Moving on up - from cardboard box to minishelter cart for homeless

Earlier this month the L.A. Times reported on a new invention: a shopping cart which can convert to a small shelter for a homeless person. The mobile shelter is called an EDAR (short for Everyone Deserves a Roof) and was developed as the result of a competition sponsored by movie producer Peter Samuelson.

As you might suspect, a number of objections have been raised to this and similar undertakings. Don't want homeless people to get too comfortable, or they might have no incentive to seek more permanent solutions. (So meanwhile, it's OK for them to be subjected to rain and snow?) And where would you put them, seeing as there is no "unowned" land left anymore?

About 60 EDARs have been produced so far for a cost of a little under $500. The manufacturing cost could come down if a government or agency decided they'd be a good solution for temporary housing in a war or natural disaster.

Here's a website and video about the EDAR.

Container housing gains ground

Most shipping containers meet an ignoble end rusting away in a port or railroad yard. But a field trip to Juarez, Mexico by a U.S. architect has blossomed into a vision: container housing for the homeless and poor who would otherwise be unable to afford to own a home.

Brian McCarthy and three partners have designed a prototype that's cool, ventilated, and has hookups for water and electricity. Container housing could be constructed in settings that promote a sense of community among residents.

I talked about the possibility of container housing last year here. You can read more about McCarthy's endeavor at CNN.

Why not this homeless solution for Springfield?

There's lots of homeless news I will try to catch up on, but this really caught my eye-- don't know how long this link will stay live, so here's the whole story:

MOBILE HOMELESS BUS SHELTERS PLANNED IN HAWAII - Nov. 8, AP
A nonprofit group feeding the homeless has new plans for getting people off the streets — tour buses.

The group called H-5, or Hawaii Helping the Hungry Have Hope, is unveiling the first two of a fleet of mobile homeless shelters for Oahu.

Nineteen used buses have been donated to H-5 director Utu Langi by Roberts Hawaii for the project.

Langi is removing the bus seats and having the interior of each 40-foot vehicle retrofitted with eight beds in small partitioned units.

H-5 has been distributing about 6,000 meals a month around Oahu to increasing numbers of homeless.

The group plans to introduced the buses Wednesday, kickoff for the annual Walk the Talk 130-mile trek around the island to raise awareness of homelessness.

One of the buses is to travel with the walkers to introduce the mobile shelter to the homeless. Langi says he hopes to have five buses ready as shelters by mid-2008.

The buses will drive up to areas where homeless congregate and offer the shelter through other organizations that will provide bathroom facilities, since the buses are not equipped with restrooms.

"The idea is also not to burden one community or one organization too long," Langi said, adding that the buses will offer better conditions than larger shelters and will reach people who won't or can't make it to the government-sponsored shelters.

"I'm hoping to help a lot of people with this goofy idea," Langi said.

SO: the hell with building a new shelter-- the one that Friends of the Homeless plans still won't be open 24 hours -- and put the money into permanent housing and a day centre, which people really need-- a place to get out of the weather, look for work and connect with services.

I'm trying to remember what year it was that Mayor Ryan called us together and said that the new shelter would break ground in the Spring. Still waiting.

Could This Help Springfield?

A Las Vegas housing developer is working with the city's mayor and local high school students to convert shipping containers to emergency shelters. Looks like they could make good housing, also! The city has quite a large number of vacant lots in its portfolio...see video at KVBC TV.
For some really upscale use of shipping containers, check out Noticias Arquitectura.