On homelessness
So. Idea.
Instead of dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars outlawing, arresting, and jailing homeless people - or even, at best, sandwiching them in shelters where they have a good chance of being robbed, raped, stabbed, or all-of-the-above - let's give them all tiny homes.
It's not that crazy. I've made a design (see below) and it is light enough to be towed by a bicycle yet sturdy enough to withstand weather and abuse. Also, each home can be constructed for less than $5,000 apiece (including all materials and labor).
Let's face it. Many of those who are chronically homeless have issues which make normal tasks - like working a steady job, paying rent and bills on time regularly, and even social interaction - nigh-impossible. Some people are victims of circumstance or poor decisions, and can indeed benefit from assistance re-assimilating. But for those who just can't do 'normal' life, or those caught in the space between, there are better options than jail.
For one, jail is pricey. Both in money for the taxpayer and in human costs of increased and unwarranted suffering. For two, jail results in increased criminality. If someone wasn't inclined to commit crime before going to jail, sending them there is a great way to both teach them how and piss them off enough to break laws. For three, it's just freaking heartless.
Of course, the solution of bike-mounted tiny homes then causes the problem of, "Well then they'll just camp everywhere!" I note that this is what they are doing now. But it is a lot easier to fund and provide vacant lots with basic access to a water source, sewage/trash disposal, and even electrical boxes, than to construct and staff brick-and-mortar homeless shelters. There would be some overhead - the cost of minimal utilities, as well as a security guard or two at sites to keep an eye on things and call police in event of trouble - but less than we are currently spending by far, and with better result. These central locations of independently housed people would also make it easier for social workers to find those who need aid - job placement, mental health treatment, addiction services.
Also, this solution gives the homeless a home. Not a shelter, not a hotel, but their own (admittedly small) home which they own, take responsibility and care for, and can take with them wherever they go. Millions of people own millions of homes which sit vacant, and perhaps it is unfair to ask them to take the monetary hit of giving the homeless a place to stay in them. But for an incredibly minimal monetary investment, we can make homes for them which suit their unique needs and give them the opportunity to live and contribute in their own way.
Diagrams:
Materials:
Aluminum panels (.05"x4'x12') - $1,800
Foam panel insulation - $50
Corrugated plastic - $100
Rivets - $30
Leafspring axles - $100
Cart wheels - $100
Plexiglass - $50
Rubber seals - $10
Drain cover - $10
Bilge hose - $10
Hinges - $15
Louvres - $10
Amenities:
Buddy heater - $80
Camp stove - $60
Camp battery - $250
Solar panel - $150
Fan - $20
Camp shower - $30
Camp toilet - $60
Memory foam - $160
Small propane tank - $5
Approx. finished weight (loaded): 300#
Cost of Materials/supplies: $3,100
Approximate labor cost (generous estimate): $1,800 (18 hrs x $100/hr)
Total cost: $4,900
Instead of dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars outlawing, arresting, and jailing homeless people - or even, at best, sandwiching them in shelters where they have a good chance of being robbed, raped, stabbed, or all-of-the-above - let's give them all tiny homes.
It's not that crazy. I've made a design (see below) and it is light enough to be towed by a bicycle yet sturdy enough to withstand weather and abuse. Also, each home can be constructed for less than $5,000 apiece (including all materials and labor).
Let's face it. Many of those who are chronically homeless have issues which make normal tasks - like working a steady job, paying rent and bills on time regularly, and even social interaction - nigh-impossible. Some people are victims of circumstance or poor decisions, and can indeed benefit from assistance re-assimilating. But for those who just can't do 'normal' life, or those caught in the space between, there are better options than jail.
For one, jail is pricey. Both in money for the taxpayer and in human costs of increased and unwarranted suffering. For two, jail results in increased criminality. If someone wasn't inclined to commit crime before going to jail, sending them there is a great way to both teach them how and piss them off enough to break laws. For three, it's just freaking heartless.
Of course, the solution of bike-mounted tiny homes then causes the problem of, "Well then they'll just camp everywhere!" I note that this is what they are doing now. But it is a lot easier to fund and provide vacant lots with basic access to a water source, sewage/trash disposal, and even electrical boxes, than to construct and staff brick-and-mortar homeless shelters. There would be some overhead - the cost of minimal utilities, as well as a security guard or two at sites to keep an eye on things and call police in event of trouble - but less than we are currently spending by far, and with better result. These central locations of independently housed people would also make it easier for social workers to find those who need aid - job placement, mental health treatment, addiction services.
Also, this solution gives the homeless a home. Not a shelter, not a hotel, but their own (admittedly small) home which they own, take responsibility and care for, and can take with them wherever they go. Millions of people own millions of homes which sit vacant, and perhaps it is unfair to ask them to take the monetary hit of giving the homeless a place to stay in them. But for an incredibly minimal monetary investment, we can make homes for them which suit their unique needs and give them the opportunity to live and contribute in their own way.
Diagrams:
Materials:
Aluminum panels (.05"x4'x12') - $1,800
Foam panel insulation - $50
Corrugated plastic - $100
Rivets - $30
Leafspring axles - $100
Cart wheels - $100
Plexiglass - $50
Rubber seals - $10
Drain cover - $10
Bilge hose - $10
Hinges - $15
Louvres - $10
Amenities:
Buddy heater - $80
Camp stove - $60
Camp battery - $250
Solar panel - $150
Fan - $20
Camp shower - $30
Camp toilet - $60
Memory foam - $160
Small propane tank - $5
Approx. finished weight (loaded): 300#
Approximate labor cost (generous estimate): $1,800 (18 hrs x $100/hr)
Total cost: $4,900
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