We need more people like him!
A Toronto man is building mini shelters to help house the city’s homeless population during winter, Blavity reports.
Khaleel Seivwright is a carpenter looking to assist in any way possible as the city gears up for winter. The 28-year-old launched a GoFundMe to help support his mission of providing insulated compact shelters, setting an initial goal of $20,000. According to the campaign page, the homes cost about $1000 to build. He’s looking to purchase supplies to build the houses and cover a storage unit to hold materials, which is about $450 a month. To date, Seivwright has already raised nearly $100,000 to support his efforts, setting a new stretch goal of $200,000.
Seivwright said he wanted to start the initiative because he wanted to be of service to the city’s homeless population, especially with the impending winter and COVID-19 pandemic. Shelters in Toronto only have but so many resources. The winter is sure to deplete what little they have, especially given the need for social distancing, which may exacerbate the homeless crisis.
He detailed the small house design on the GoFundMe page, explaining how they work.
“These tiny shelters are designed to be mainly heated by body heat and because of their size and the insulation value of the walls, ceiling, and floor just body heat alone should be enough to keep the shelter around 16 degrees Celsius in -20 temperatures,” Seivwright wrote.
Photo Courtesy of Toronto Tiny Shelters/GoFundMe
Construction has already begun on some of the mini-homes as of late September. Each unit is equipped with a thick layer of fiberglass, a door, a small window and spinning caster wheels at each corner for easy transport. The wooden homes are a temporary alternative that provides more protection from the elements than tents. Seivwright is still looking for storage space, but offers these shelters to the city’s homeless residents free of charge, hoping that many of them will make it through the winter season.
“I’m excited to do this because I know it can work; I love designing and building different interesting ideas. And I know it might help at least a few people get through this winter who might not and others in the future as well. I’ve never seen so many people staying outside in parks, and this is something I could do to make sure people staying outside in the winter could survive. This isn’t a permanent solution. This is just making sure people don’t die in the cold this winter.” Seivwright told CBC News.
To support his efforts, visit the GoFundMe page.
Thank you for all you’re doing, Khaleel!
Photo Courtesy of CBC News