22 Jun 2015

Honolulu buses become homeless shelters

8:55 am on 22 June 2015

Old city buses in Hawaii are getting new life as shelters for the homeless in the US Pacific state.

The GoodNews Network reports that a project called LIFT in Honolulu plans to collect 70 decommissioned buses from storage and convert them into homeless shelters and shower stations.

GNN reports that the grassroots initiative will cost next to nothing with the buses and reconstruction material being donated and volunteers to retrofit the buses.

Architecture firm Group 70 International has drawn up three distinct designs with some of the buses providing sleeping space for up to eight people while others will be turned into mobile showers and even recreation centers.

Group 70 told GNN it kept the designs simple so that untrained volunteers will be able to repurpose them with the donated tools and materials.

LIFT wants to have at least three of the 40-foot converted buses on the road sometime this summer.

The 2014 State of Homelessness survey ranks Hawaii as having the highest homeless rate in the USA.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii Photo: RNZI correspondent