As we near the start of the long winter months, and people without permanent homes search for shelter so they might brave the deadly-low temperatures awaiting them, one Canadian carpenter is stepping up to try and help as many of those in need as he possibly can.
As CBC News reported, 28-year-old Khaleel Seivwright of Toronto, Canada, has been personally constructing tiny, insulated shelters for local homeless people who may otherwise find themselves outside in the cold this upcoming winter season.
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The shelters are constructed out of wood and are lined with fiberglass insulation to help inhabitants stay warm this during the cold winter months.
As Seivwright wrote ,
“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 [60.8 F] in -20 [-4 F] temperatures.”
Seivwright said he was compelled to begin this mini-shelter project after realizing just how significant of a problem homelessness has become in his area.
“It just seemed like something I could do that would be useful because there’s so many people staying in tents,” the carpenter told CBC .
“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.”
He explained that homelessness in the Canadian city has been made worse as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“As shelters are usually at capacity at some point in the winter in Toronto and also because of this coronavirus, making space to allow for social distancing will put even more strain on Toronto’s capacity,” he wrote online.
“For some it’s more difficult to find a shelter that can accommodate them and their pets or belongings and others refuse to be in shelters for other reasons. I am building these shelters for those that will live outside this winter.”
Indeed, local advocates anticipate the number of homeless individuals will reach unprecedented levels this upcoming winter season.
As people run out of COVID-19 emergency benefits and some even experience losing their own homes, there is increased concern for the safety of Toronto’s most vulnerable residents, many of whom will likely experience winter on the streets.
“It’s going to be catastrophic. We have not yet seen the wave of evictions from people in unstable, unaffordable housing,” Cathy Crowe, a long-time street nurse, told CBC. “People are trickling into homelessness now, but it’s going to be like nothing we’ve ever seen in our lifetime.”
Seivwright’s shelters cost around $1,000 each to construct and takes Seivwright about 8 hours to complete.
Since he started building them in September, the generous carpenter has given two away for free, dropping them off in “out-of-the-way locations” across the city of Toronto.
“This isn’t a permanent solution,” he told CBC. “This is just making sure people don’t die in the cold this winter. At least, some people.”
In order to continue building the potentially life-saving shelters, Seivwright has been collecting donations through an online fundraising campaign.
As of writing, his GoFundMe has amassed over $57,000 in donations, well-surpassing his initial goal of $20,000.
In the fundraiser’s description, Seivwright says he is also accepting donations in the form of building supplies, including plywood, insulation, and roofing materials.
To learn more about this worthy cause or to donate money/supplies, click here .
