Architect Wants To Turn Old Subway Cars Into Housing For Homeless

[sheshe2]

Now here’s a housing solution we can get on board with.


When a famed Washington, D.C., architect learned of the city’s plan to scrap several fleets of old subway cars, he thought up a better use for the retired models. If Arthur Cotton Moore has his way, some of the outdated Metro cars could be turned into houses for homeless people.


“I thought it was just a terrible waste ― sending all these cars to the junkyard,” Moore, 81, told The Huffington Post.




The city plans to ax three of its old fleets ― several hundred cars in total ― and replace them with newer ones. It has already begun sending some to a junkyard in Baltimore, but it will take years to complete the deliveries, according to The Washington Post.

snip//

The work that the tiny homes would need ― which includes installing prefabricated bathrooms and kitchens ― wouldn’t actually cost that much, Moore insists. He hopes to pitch his idea to the D.C. City Council and thinks it would be a far cheaper homeless program than what’s been offered so far.



snip//


He said the cars are heavy and aerodynamic enough to withstand strong winds. They already have windows, so that’s taken care of. And the doors at either end of the cars could be repurposed as front entrances for each apartment. He’d also add concrete footings in place of the cars’ wheels, City Lab reported.


Moore would install solar panels to provide heat and hot water.





Read More:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/subway-metro-cars-homeless-housing_us_58d54c0ce4b03787d357f537?knm&

There were 8,350 homeless people in DC last year. I think this is a wonderful idea, it would be a start.

[Phoenix61]

1. That's a great idea

Just need to find someplace to put them.

[sheshe2]

4. From the article...

Last edited Tue Mar 28, 2017, 06:51 PM - Edit history (1)

Finding a piece of land for a Metrotopia shouldn’t be all that challenging either. The McKinney Act authorizes the government to designate unused federal property for homeless people.


Moore also envisions making room for a vegetable garden on the property. It could function as a co-op, which is often desperately needed in underserved areas that lack supermarkets.



This really would be a thing of beauty if the plan is approved...Scrapping the first of three fleets alone will cost Baltimore 1.3 million. Money saved could be used on this project.

Thanks for responding Phoenix.

[Phoenix61]

6. I had no idea it would cost that much to scrap them

They could really go all out and throw in a social worker, substance abuse counselor, GED teacher and maybe even a doc that comes by from time to time.

[sheshe2]

11. That is the ticket!

All great ideas Phoenix, thanks. Sad that it would cost more to scrap them than make it an alternate living condition for the homeless. This could be huge.

[Yo_Mama]

10. That's 1.3 million, not billion, but regardless, this seem like a good and workable concept.

The subway cars I am familiar with are built. It should be fast, cheap and effective to set this up. At time when a severe shortage of Section 8 housing has people on waiting lists for years, an idea like this one should receive very careful consideration.

[sheshe2]

12. Edited...thank you.

Agree with you on your point, Yo_Mama.

[dembotoz]

2. or student housing or senior housing

there might be possibilities

[HoneyBadger]

3. Why no railroad cars instead?

So easy to shop around the country to where they are wanted. So easy to sell.

[pinboy3niner]

23. Look up the McDonad's in Barstow, CA, made of RR dining cars and caboose

[turbinetree]

5. To create JOBS and help those in need

that is one genius idea

[sheshe2]

13. Yep!

[turbinetree]

15. Only someone thinking in a progressive forward thinking manner would come up with that

brilliant idea

[sheshe2]

16. Bless his heart he is 81 years old!

Thank you turbinetree!

[turbinetree]

17. Wado-------------Thank you

[Metsie Casey]

7. Great idea. Something that really matters.

[mcar]

8. Brilliant!

[ProudLib72]

9. This is a wonderful idea!

I hope they go with it.

[mopinko]

14. i want one for a greenhouse.

srsly.

[lindysalsagal]

18. I know there are empty shopping malls from the '80's boom that need re-purposing.

The cost would be in insurance and supervision, but, hey, that would mean jobs, so, let's get to it.

With the malls, you could even make the bathrooms and kitchens and laundry community-shared, thereby making them easier to maintain and repair. Some people would just as soon relinquish the ownership and upkeep, anyway.

A simple meal system would be better than begging in the street, and less wasteful than out-sourcing where someone has to make a profit. Local shops and restaurants could donate leftovers to one location.

For a family with kids, knowing you could get by and stay safe and dry, and stop the endless moving around from shelter to shelter, your kids could remain at the same school and develop healthy social lives. Public transportation would be easier from a central location, and you could even consider bringing in routine, basic healthcare.

It has to be cheaper than profit-based hotels, which offer no services. The empty malls aren't generating any tax revenue.

All we lack is compassion and political will.

[sheshe2]

19. Another great idea.

Let's start writing our congress and senate critters'.

Hope.

[brooklynite]

20. As a transportation planner, I can say this is an idiotic idea...

The reason people live in campers or mobile homes is that THEY'RE ACTUALLY DESIGNED TO BE LIVED IN. The amount of retrofitting to add lights, power, water and heat to a transit vehicle would make this far less cost effective than actually building a cabin or buying the resident a camper.

[sheshe2]

21. Thank you so much for you support...

and the smack down.

So the architect adding solar for light, heat and water is idiotic and estimates for bath and kitchen is all wrong. I appreciate all your imput and bow to your superior knowledge. I have never said a cruel word to you and have always rec'ed your posts. You most certainly could have trashed my thread more diplomatically and you did it in all caps...yelling at me.

[TexasBushwhacker]

22. Perhaps, but the city will already have to pay to dispose them

It makes sense to repurpose them in some way, rather than paying for them to be scrapped AND paying to build housing for the homeless.

[brooklynite]

24. Well, we strip the mechanicals out of ours and drop them in the ocean...

...where they become reefs for coral.

[shraby]

25. Yup, add more garbage to the ocean. That's the ticket.

Homes for coral, and not for people. Great idea! What's your next gem?

[snooper2]

26. caves, caves are what we need to retrofit

[HoneyBadger]

27. For some environmental reason, NY will not use them to build artificial reefs

They will however ship them to other states to do the same. Insert obnoxious NJ joke.

It is not dumping garbage for anyone that thinks so. It is providing valuable habitat to wildlife.