About 50 volunteers converged on a vacant downtown lot this morning as a local non-profit that serves the homeless community began building Pallet houses at an urban campground. Coalbank Village campground gained the approval of the Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency to serve as a model for a temporary housing program that will take applicants, provide shelter and work toward getting users to housing and other services. The Devereux Center will run the program. Volunteers representing several churches, veteran’s groups, Oregon Coast Community Action, Recruit Hippo, and Alternative Youth Activities are assembling around 25 Pallet structures. The units contain a heater, breaker box, power outlet, and several screened windows. The entire camp area will be fenced and people who will stay there must be approved through an application process. The stays will not be long-term, but temporary. There is no word on what date the campground will be operational, especially now after thieves stole an electrical distribution box. Devereux Center officials say they may opt to use generator power to start operating.
Pallet Manufacturing is located in Seattle. The Pallet shelters are made from aluminum and composite panels, which makes them easy to clean. The walls are made of fiberglass reinforced with plastic, and insulated with styrofoam, and the floors are made of composite plastic that can be placed on any reasonably flat surface without installing a foundation. Each shelter is pre-fabricated and can be set up on a flat surface in less than one hour, with minimal tools.
