A man is making tiny homes on wheels to provide innovative shelter for unhoused people—inspired after his brother became homeless.
Ryan Donais started building the portable homes in July, concerned about the levels of homelessness in his city of Toronto, Canada, where he was seeing a huge growth in the tent cities popping up.
In a bid to provide a solution for local authorities, the 37-year-old construction manager spent 100 hours working on the prototype, and two months building the first unit.
Made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic, the homes feature a bed, a desk, a sink, and a camping toilet.
Ryan says he came up with the idea of building them after his brother became homeless five years ago, having struggled with addiction for 20 years.
“My brother has been suffering with addiction for years,” Ryan told SWNS news. “He is one of the tent people. My mom still speaks to him, but I haven’t spoken to him in years.”
Ryan is currently finishing his second unit and has successfully incorporated the project, called Tiny Tiny Homes, as an official nonprofit organization.
“The project is in its infancy. I am doing this all by myself while trying to get connected with the right people.”
The mini homes are insulated, weatherproof, and watertight. They use solar power for the lights and fan, and come with a window, and door. The bed turns into a sofa, with 12 cubic feet of storage space underneath for personal items.
“I want every homeless person to get one of these. Tent encampments are not a healthy environment,” he said. “My latest model has a sink where people can wash and a camping toilet.”
Ryan said he doesn’t want this to be a permanent home for people but instead a midway point, until people can secure permanent housing.
“I want this to be an awakening program for the government. They need to step up and start housing people.”
Ryan is sharing his developments on TikTok @tinytinyhomes and Instagram @tinytinyhomestoronto. He’s set up a GoFundMe campaign that has raised $5,000 so far.
“I want to make a difference in people’s lives, and that’s why I am raising funds on GoFundMe to buy materials (in bulk)—after funding the first model myself. My goal is to raise $100,000 to scale production, with each unit currently costing around $5,000 to build (not including sweat equity).”
He also accepts donations of plywood, caulking, PL and rectangle tubing, and RV windows—and is looking for a larger shop space, while searching for help with social media and marketing.
Watch a tour of the tiny home…
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What an awesome idea!
Thanks for your compassion, desire to help, and all of your hard work!
This is such an amazing idea! You got it first… Dang, are you from the prison system…best Entrepreneurs ever! Woohoo go you!
How does someone get one of these and what is the cost to a homeless person
They will be free, and they have an application page on their website we linked to.
People need to be able to shower to function in society. You can easily modify your design to accommodate a shower by adding a shower pan and making the sink faucet a hand shower faucet attached to a hose which can disappear undernea ath the sink like a kitchen sink sprayer, or be hung at shower head level. Add a wall to wall, circular, ceiling mounted, rv style, shower curtain track and voila! You can add waterproof sink cover to create a space for shampoo etc., while the shower is in use, and/or the toilet can double as a h2o proof shower chair for elderly or disabled residents, since it will also be in the shower pan, which will also make cleaning a breeze!
What an incredibly good hearted thing to do! It is just pathetic to read that he has, so far, only raised $5,000. I hereby weigh in, asking the community to donate generously!
If Ryan Donais is reading this, I wanted to suggest that grant funding can be a way to go. I would suggest contacting the Foundation Center Library here in the usa as they are a Huge resource for nonprofit funding. They may also know of sources in Canada that are similar, where grant funding can be obtained for a nonprofit entity. If the grantor says no, then ask why. Jot notes, resubmit a revised proposal, and voila! Often the second application is funded where the first was turned down. This can be in addition to private donations and GoFundMe etc.
I hope for great blessings on this project and great rewards for doing so much good! Thank you for leading us by example, Ryan! Appreciation!
Your Tiny Tiny Houses are fantastic! I would love to see one done up inside with some warm and cozy or cheerful colors! I know costs need to be minimal but I don’t think it would cost anymore to do. Colors and lighting in one’s environment can have such a drastic effect on how one feels. If you need any ideas, feel free to contact me… I’d love to help. You’re an amazing person… Don’t EVER doubt yourself! You can do this!!!