A Plywood Cabin Is Not a Home, But It's a Start

A Plywood Cabin Is Not a Home, But It's a Start
by Jennifer Cooper · November 01, 2010
Topics: Housing · Homelessness
Share
retweet
7,653 views
Rather than do nothing about the rising homeless population in Kitsap County, Washington, Bremerton Rescue Mission is moving ahead with plans to construct a series of temporary heated plywood cabins on 2.5 acres of land in the city of Bremerton.

Initially the group intends to construct six 12' x 12' cabins. Eventually there could be as many as 35 cabins housing 45 adults and 70 children.

Though the cabins are far from ideal housing, they offer more safety and protection from the elements than sleeping in a tent, on the street or in a car. They will also provide families with an address and a stable home from which to get back on their feet and into permanent housing. And it certainly assures them a better fate than many other homeless left to fend for themselves in insufficient shelter. A homeless man in Allentown, Pennsylvania was recently crushed to death after crawling into a recycling container for warmth.

In a letter (pdf) to the community, Joel Adamson, the owner of the land, said he got involved after learning that all 14 of Kitsap County's emergency shelters for families are full and that between 100 and 200 children are sleeping in the family car with their parents. "As we approach winter, there is the very real possibility a child may freeze to death in their car," he wrote.

The site has already been approved for development of 11 homes but Adamson agreed to lease the land for the homeless camp for $1 a year while he waits for the housing market to improve.

Of course the project is not without controversy. Several residents have complained that the site is not suitable for the cabins and that the homeless camp will bring crime and declining home values. Fortunately under recently passed state legislation, local governments in Washington cannot block tent cities and homeless camps sanctioned by churches. But that hasn’t stopped neighbors from crying NIMBY.

According to the Kitsap Sun, an alternative plan has been proposed, offering the homeless motel vouchers. While it would solve the immediate problem of providing shelter, it offers none of the security proposed by the cabins.

However, just because these cabins are designed to be temporary does not mean they should not meet safety standards. Those living nearby have a right to insist that the cabins be safe, and that there is a plan to ensure proper sanitation. But attempts to squash the development seem to have little to do with public safety and instead smack of prejudice against the homeless and misinformation. And complaints ignores the fact that some 2,000 homeless people, 500 of them children, already call Kitsap County home.

Bremerton Rescue Mission is doing the best it can to rapidly and safely house the area's homeless families. Urge Kitsap County Commissioners to support construction of the cabins as quickly and safely as possible so that no families are left out in the cold.