29 Homeless Innovations

From Pop-Up Inflatable Shelters to Bumvertising

— July 5, 2009 — Social Good
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 3.5 million adults and children are homeless over the course of a year.

This astonishing statistic has inspired a number of designers and innovators to create solutions to raise the comfort level of the homeless and awareness of their situation. From pop-up inflatable homeless shelters to mobile homes for the homeless, there are quite a few innovations that aim to improve a homeless person's condition.

Unfortunately, not all of the homeless innovations in the slideshow below are positive. There are also a handful of disturbing viral news stories about the homeless, including teen 'sport' killings and bumvertising.
4.7
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
25
Robotic Bouncers
Robotic Bouncers
"Bum Bot" Shoos away Homeless
<
24
Teen 'Sport Killings' of Homeless On the Rise
Teen 'Sport Killings' of Homeless On the Rise
<
23
Sleeping in Bank Entrances
Sleeping in Bank Entrances
ATM Hotels Are Gold Cards for the Homeless On Cold Winter Nights
<
22
Good-Doing Google
Good-Doing Google
Homeless in SF Get Phone & Voice Mail
<
21
Celeb Do-Gooders
Celeb Do-Gooders
Hilary Duff Feeds Edmonton Homeless
<
20
Online Promos for Panhandlers
Online Promos for Panhandlers
"Pimp This Bum!" Helps Houston Homeless Man
<
19
Beards as Christmas Metaphors
Beards as Christmas Metaphors
Coca Cola's Hobo Holiday Ads
<
18
Homeless By Choice
Homeless By Choice
Student Lives In His Truck for 19 Months
<
17
Homeless Voting
Homeless Voting
Registering Park Benches as Addresses in Ohio
<
16
Hobo Soup Is Hot!
Hobo Soup Is Hot!
<
15
Compassion Through Metaphors
Compassion Through Metaphors
Brazilian Organization Uses Comparisons for the Homeless
<
14
Robots For The Homeless
Robots For The Homeless
Transformer Guerrilla Sleeping Spaces For the Shelterless
<
13
Homeless Musican Fashion Designers
Homeless Musican Fashion Designers
The Crazy Robertson
<
12
Guerrilla Campaign for Homeless
Guerrilla Campaign for Homeless
Vitae Shelters
<
11
The Urban Shell Shelter for the Homeless
The Urban Shell Shelter for the Homeless
<
10
Guerrilla Poverty Ads
Guerrilla Poverty Ads
Homeless Father Bob Bins
<
9
A mobile "home" for the homeless
A mobile "home" for the homeless
they deserve some design too!
<
8
Eco Poverty Camping
Eco Poverty Camping
Tents and Tarps Give Hope to the Homeless in Dignity Village
<
7
Luxury for the Homeless (UPDATE)
Luxury for the Homeless (UPDATE)
Faux-Cardboard or Clochard Duvet Covers
<
6
Homeless Humor
Homeless Humor
Clever Street Solicitations That Are Sure to Turn Some Heads
<
5
Secret Underground Home
Secret Underground Home
Homeless "Mole Man"
<
4
Cardboard Box Beds
Cardboard Box Beds
Nikolay Suslov Designs for Nomads and the Homeless
<
3
Famous Hobos
Famous Hobos
10 Formerly-Homeless Celebrity Icons
<
2
Alternative Homeless Shelters
Alternative Homeless Shelters
The EDAR Project Provides Mini Mobile Units
<
1
Inflatable Homeless Shelters
Inflatable Homeless Shelters
The ParaSITE Project
<