Artist Turns Trash into Shelters for Homeless

Gregory Kloehn is a California-based artist whose works are not just pleasing to the eye--they also perform a social good.

In an ongoing project called Homeless Homes, he and his volunteers build tiny, insulated mobile homes for the destitute. The project is Kloehn's response to the growing homeless population in the Oakland area.

Salvaging discarded refrigerator parts, dumpsters, and scrap wood, he and his team manage to create sturdy and inexpensive structures for people to take refuge in.

The structures are small (they are just large enough for a grown person to lie down in) but they offer warmth, privacy, and portability.

In an interview with NBC, Kloehn recognizes the limits of the project.

"Does it have merit as a solution to homelessness? As far as giving people a shelter, yeah, definitely. Is it a solution to homelessness? It's an answer. An attempt."

Kloehn's tiny structures cannot address all the struggles facing the homeless or the problems which cause it in the first place, but they are certainly a good start; not only do they raise awareness, but they provide temporary relief for those who may not have any other options.

You can view photos of the tiny structures and learn about the Homeless Homes projecthere.