A man in Los Angeles did not want to see a homeless woman who lived on his block continue without the basic necessity of a roof over her head. So he built her a home.
With just $500 of supplies and in five days, Elvis Summers, who runs a company that supplies dancers for parties, was able to build a portable mini home on wheels for “Smokie,” 60, who spent over a decade living in a patch of dirt, according to the Daily Mail.
Summers would reportedly let Smokie rummage through his recycling bin, and the two frequently conversed.
His inspiration reportedly came from an artist in Oakland who turned trash into homes for the homeless.
Summers built the home on wheels so that it could be moved around, which was a wise decision, as the LAPD reportedly said the mobile mini home must be moved around every 72 hours, the Daily Mail notes.
He created a YouTube video to document the construction of the home and even captured the moments he gave the keys to Smokie and she finally made it her own. The video has over 3.6 million views so far.
News of Summers’ good deed has been met with a firestorm of requests from people who are asking him to build them homes, as well. This reportedly prompted him to create a Go Fund Me page, which has raised almost half of the $50,000 goal he has set since he started it on April 13. That figure is based on the projected cost for 100 homes.
“Being homeless is NOT a crime. The true crime is how we as human being[s] look at and treat people that are homeless,” Summers wrote on the Go Fund Me page. “This ‘Welcome Home: A Tiny House, Huge Purpose’ project is to build tiny house’s [sic] for homeless [Women], Men, Children, US Veterans and Families who are homeless,” he wrote. “Let’s Start Being Human!”
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.
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