When temperatures drop below the zero, I can’t help but think of all the homeless people out there, who are freezing and struggling to find a place to spend the night. Sadly, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the strict measures along with the health guidelines imposed by the governments, many shelters stopped working and homeless people faced closed doors. This made this category of citizens double victims of the pandemic.
But one city in Germany seems to have the solution. Namely, authorities at the city of Ulm are installing sleeping pods all around the place so that the homeless have a bed to sleep in. These pods are made out of wood and steel and are insulated and waterproof. At the same time, they include solar panels and communication services.
Heute wurden die beiden Ulmer Nester wieder aufgestellt – coronabedingt leider mit Verzögerung, aber gerade noch…
Posted by Ulmer Nest on Friday, 8 January 2021
One doesn’t need to check in anywhere in order to use them. The moment someone enters inside them, a local non profit gets an alert and representatives pay that person a visit in order to offer additional help as well as to clean the pod the following morning.
“With the Ulm Nests, we hope to offer a little bit of protection and security to those who most depend on it in Ulm,” the Facebook page dedicated to these futuristic homeless shelters wrote.
Posted by Ulmer Nest on Friday, 27 December 2019
These unique pods have also found their way out of Germany, as per KTVZ.com, around 100 of them were also installed in Portland, Oregon, in December of 2020.
“They provide safety, protection from the elements, and a good place to be on a short-term basis, but they’re not intended to replace a permanent housing situation,” the director of the city’s homeless services Marc Jolin said.
Posted by Ulmer Nest on Friday, 27 December 2019
We are so glad that the most vulnerable citizens are not left to fend for themselves and the country is doing something for them.