A team of six entrepreneurs and engineers have unveiled a series of 'homeless pods' in the German city of Ulm to both praise and criticism.
The pods are specially designed to provide shelter for the homeless population, which has been increasing across Germany in recent years, and have been in high demand since temperatures in the city frequently plummet well below zero at this time of year.
The pods, dubbed the 'Ulmer Nest', serve as a temporary refuge for the homeless and are made from both wood and steel, making them windproof and waterproof. They are also thermally insulated, protecting individuals from the dangers of hypothermia and exposure. They even have space for the person's belongings and a pet.
As well as providing immediate shelter, the team hopes that the use of the pods will mean that the homeless are brought into contact with organisations and social-workers who can offer further assistance with issues like drug and alcohol counselling.
Nun sind bereits 2 Monate vergangen seit die zwei Prototypen des ulmer nests im Einsatz sind. Soweit ziehen die...
Posted by Ulmer Nest on Friday, 28 February 2020
A member of the team, Florian, who created the pods, spoke to Bored Panda, he said:
"For this winter, we modified details of our door in an effort to improve usability both for the people sleeping in the Nests and the social workers checking in on them. Also, we spent a good deal of time improving insulation and climate management, to be able to keep humidity and temperature at the best possible levels while operating on a limited budget of energy."
He added:
"We've even seen some effects that we didn't dream of, like neighbours providing the overnight guests with hot tea in the morning and such. Also, city officials were always very supportive and positive about the project, which helped us a lot. And then there's a lot of those small moments when working on the Nests out in the city, and people come up to say thank you (homeless and not homeless alike). That also means a lot actually."
Heute wurden die beiden Ulmer Nester wieder aufgestellt - coronabedingt leider mit Verzögerung, aber gerade noch...
Posted by Ulmer Nest on Friday, 8 January 2021
While many people have praised the project, others have criticised it as a way of papering-over the problem of homelessness and the societal issues that lead to homelessness in the first place. They question why the German state and federal authorities are not doing more to tackle homelessness and see projects such as this as gimmicks designed to distract from the real issues, while giving the false impression that something really meaningful is being done.
h/t: Positive Outlooks
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