Salvation Army To Install 200 Fully-Furnished Pod Homes For The Homeless
Image via Hill Group
More than 3,000 people were reported to be sleeping in rough conditions in London between January and March, according to findings released by Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN).
To give the homeless a roof over their heads, the Salvation Army has teamed up with social justice nonprofit Citizens UK and housing developer Hill Group to install 200 modular and sustainable homes across London over the next five years.
The initiative comes after 60 pod homes were set up in Ilford, east London, when a 10-year-old boy by the name of Malachi Justin decided to give his tooth fairy money to homeless charities.
The new single-person dwellings, called ‘SoloHaus’ homes, will come fully furnished and be ready to move into. There will be a full-functioning living and dining area, a completely fitted kitchen, a bedroom with storage, a bathroom with shower facilities, and even integrated cabling for broadband and television use. They’ll also be insulated to keep occupants cozy in the winter and cool in the summer.
The pods will be inexpensive to run, costing just £5 a week for electricity per unit. According to Time Out London, all 200 homes will cost less than £47,000 (US$64,660) to complete.
All this doesn’t come at a price for the environment, either. Toilet facilities, like a controlled flow shower mixer and dual flush cistern, ensure water consumption is kept at a minimum, while a single air source heat pump provides heating to six homes.
The manufacturer details that the houses can be manufactured in just 20 days, and are easy to transport and install. If need be, the pods can also be stacked to create two stories.
Where the homes will be set up remains to be determined. However, the group has already reached out to the Ministry of Housing, as well as councils and landowners, to find spaces to install the pods.
Image via Hill Group
Image via Hill Group
[via Time Out London, images via Hill Group]
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