Cabracega, a Portuguese creative studio, came up with a wonderful solution to house the homeless on cold days. The Lisbon-based project creates awareness for empty or abandoned buildings, and demonstrates how these can be used for positive social needs.
The capital city has about 900 people who call the street their home, and unfortunately, many end up suffering from hypothermia in the winters.
While there are organizations who help these people by offering blankets, clothes and meals, the problem hasn’t been solved.
"But, in the city, there are indoor spaces likely to be used by the homeless on the cold nights. Those spaces are the ATM booths. These money containers, during the night, have hardly any movement, are constantly warm and can represent an almost luxurious shelter for the homeless," Cabracega.org says. "Consequently, we’ve created a golden ATM Hotel to be developed in partnership with banks, allowing homeless to access the ATM indoor spaces."
The organization’s hope is that other businesses and institutions will be inspired to open their doors to the homeless in their off-hours too.
Sleeping in Bank Entrances
ATM Hotels Are Gold Cards for the Homeless On Cold Winter Nights
Trend Themes
1. ATM Hotels - The development of ATM hotels to provide a warm and safe space for homeless individuals during colder months.
2. Abandoned Buildings - The repurposing of abandoned buildings for positive social needs, such as housing the homeless, through creative solutions like Cabracega's Lisbon-based project.
3. Off-hours Space Utilization - The optimization of unused indoor spaces during off-hours for vulnerable populations, as demonstrated through Cabracega's partnership with banks for the development of ATM hotels.
Industry Implications
1. Banking Industry - Banks could partner with organizations like Cabracega to repurpose their ATM booths during off-hours to provide safe and comfortable spaces for the homeless.
2. Real Estate Industry - The real estate industry could explore repurposing abandoned buildings for social causes, such as housing for homeless populations, through innovative solutions like Cabracega's project.
3. Hospitality Industry - The hospitality industry could explore ways to contribute to social causes by providing space and resources to support vulnerable populations, such as through partnerships with organizations like Cabracega's ATM hotel project.