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B.C. tiny home pods offer 㽶Ƶֱemergency middle ground㽶Ƶֱ for unhoused people

Walk With Me Campbell River㽶Ƶֱs goal is to provide 30 units for people by fall 2022

The tiniest of efforts could soon be making a huge difference for those experiencing homelessness in at least one B.C. community.

Last week, poverty advocates in Campbell River unveiled the first prototype of a new portable, wooden tiny home pod. As designed by Shawn Decaire of the warming centre Kwesa Place, the pods can be transported like a wheelbarrow during the day, giving people a lockable space to store their belongings. Then, at night, people using the pods can extend a section out, providing just enough room to lay down and sleep.

㽶ƵֱThis is the first one, we㽶Ƶֱll be making a second prototype,㽶Ƶֱ said Sharon Karsten, executive director of the co-sponsoring drug crisis response group Walk With Me, who was seeing the pod for the first time.

㽶ƵֱWe㽶Ƶֱd like to get 30 going by the fall if we can. We㽶Ƶֱd like to have a production house in some way where people are making and assembling them. They㽶Ƶֱll be able to paint them, make them their own and make them beautiful.㽶Ƶֱ

The idea for the pods came from discussions with the unhoused community, who told Walk With Me and Kwesa Place representatives that 㽶Ƶֱthere㽶Ƶֱs a long list of things that have been thrown at people at night as they were sleeping,㽶Ƶֱ Karsten said.

㽶ƵֱFrom bottles, to eggs, to whatever; it was an endless list,㽶Ƶֱ she said.

The Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness is supporting the project. In an email, the Coalition said 㽶Ƶֱthe potential of this concept to provide both a space to keep people up off the ground as well as to replace the use of some carts is really exciting.

㽶ƵֱCombining that with local Indigenous hand-painted art makes for a creative solution to multiple concerns㽶ƵֱWe look forward to seeing how this project unfolds over the coming months and hope that we can bring the community together to discuss how to make this successful for Campbell River.㽶Ƶֱ

The hard shell of the wooden pod will offer some protection for those inside. There is also fire resistant insulation in the design as well as windows that can be opened and closed from the inside. The pods are also lockable from both the inside and outside, which will offer protection to those inside overnight, and protection for their belongings during the day.

㽶ƵֱIt㽶Ƶֱs not intended to be the solution in any way,㽶Ƶֱ Karsten said. 㽶ƵֱIt㽶Ƶֱs a part of a part of a part of housing. We㽶Ƶֱd like to have this as an emergency middle ground between sleeping in tents 㽶Ƶֱ if people want it.㽶Ƶֱ

Decaire painted the design on the first prototype, which he called the 㽶ƵֱAngel Pod㽶Ƶֱ in homage to two community members who passed away earlier this year. The design incorporates the sea trout motif, which Decaire said was 㽶Ƶֱone of those creatures that㽶Ƶֱs always evolved through evolution. In the seas, all of the animals lived on it, so it㽶Ƶֱs part of every animal. It㽶Ƶֱs part of the birds, part of the whales, the bears.㽶Ƶֱ

The idea is to have the 30 units built by the fall.

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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com

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Marc Kitteringham

About the Author: Marc Kitteringham

I joined Black press in early 2020, writing about the environment, housing, local government and more.
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