A Toronto man has launched a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to provide compact shelters with insulation for the city's homeless population.
On Sept.17, Khaleel Seivwright set up the account to raise $20,000 for his philanthropic project.
According to the fundraising page, the small wooden homes cost roughly $1,000 to build. Seivwright also detailed that part of the money would secure storage space to build the houses and store the materials. The monthly cost for the storage unit is $450 per month.
The 28-year-old carpenter disclosed that he would also buy plywood, door hinges, roofing supplies, insulation and small windows.
The Scarborough native wrote that he started the project because he wanted to contribute something of substance to the city's homeless problem. He realized that Toronto shelters have limited resources and acknowledged that the coming winter would probably deplete remaining resources.
Seivwright also added that with winter looming and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the homeless crisis would be exacerbated.
"Making space to allow for social distancing will put even more strain on Toronto's capacity," he wrote in part on his GoFundMe page.
Seivwright gushed about how much building inspired him and how he thought the project would be successful because it would help those in need.
"I'm excited to do this because I know it can work; I love designing and building different interesting ideas," he expressed. "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."
The vicenarian also included photos of previous homes he built on the page. He explained how the shelters would keep its residents warm.
"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 detailed on the GoFundMe page.
CBC News gave a more in-depth view of the project's scale and how it positively affected the homeless.
"[The] walls are lined with a thick layer of fiberglass insulation normally used in residential construction. There are a door, a small casement window and spinning caster wheels at each corner of the base," the Canadian publication reported.
Seivwright began constructing the mini-houses in late September, according to CBC.
The carpenter was shocked by the number of homeless people who lived in parks during Toronto's cold winter months.
"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 said.
Seivwright also stated that the wooden homes were viable alternatives to sleeping in tents and not a permanent solution.
"This isn't a permanent solution. This is just making sure people don't die in the cold this winter," he said. "At least some people."
He has now built two more shelters for the city's homeless residents to use at no charge.
Seivwright, to date, has surpassed his $20,000 goal– raising nearly $80,000. An update today indicated that he is still looking for a warehouse or storage space.
