By edhat staff
Isla Vista has set up twenty temporary pallet homes for the homeless community in the small college town.
The 8×8 foot structures are currently in the parking lot of the Isla Vista Community Center in the 900 block of Embarcadero del Mar next to People’s Park.
The homes will be operated by The Good Samaritan Shelter who currently runs homeless programs in Santa Maria. Program managers will be able to offer permanent housing assistance as well as counseling and other government programs.
The temporary homes were made by Pallet, a company that builds low-cost, safe, and secure aluminum shelters for transitional housing for the homeless community and those recovering from natural disasters.
The 64 square foot shelters are able to be set up within one hour, include beds, climate control, locking doors and windows, ventilation, and electricity accessibility. The shelters are specifically designed without kitchens and bathrooms and are intended to be used in a community setting where these facilities exist on site, similar to a summer camp or college dormitory, the website states.
Pallet has contracted with several cities throughout the west coast including Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara.
The project costs approximately $900,000 and is being funded through federal CARES Act COVID-19 relief through May 2021.
Photo: John Palminteri / KEYT News
