Social workers raising money to build wooden shelters in Moccasin Flats

Temperatures are starting to dip into the negatives, and those working closely with residents of Moccasin Flats are racing against the weather to build structures for some of those who are sheltering.

Phillip Fredriksson, an independent volunteer who works closely with the residents of Moccasin Flats, and two others are working on raising money to build tiny homes in the encampment before winter.

“With $1,000, we can do [frames for] four tiny homes,” Fredriksson said, adding insulation, windows and doors will cost more. “We are not at that point yet. We have one tiny home complete frame done, we are ready to set it up.”

Once the $1,000 is raised and the remainder of the required supplies are purchased, Fredriksson said work on this home and the three others can be completed.

He posted a GoFundMe on Saturday (October 21) with a $1,000 goal – over three-quarters of that has already been raised.

He said the early support has been “amazing.”

While some people already live in trailers or existing structures and others prefer to live outdoors, Fredriksson said the end goal is to provide a stable structure to live in for as many people in the encampment as possible.

That will mean a lot of structures.

“We have a list of 55 people who have signed up for these tiny homes and we are going to start going off that list,” he said.

The two people on the top of the list are both pregnant women.

There is also a bunker house in the area which offers 20 beds that residents can use.

All of the units they plan to build are mobile, which means they are legal to construct and set up in the encampment – Fredriksson does not anticipate any issue with the city or bylaw regarding the structures.

When asked if City Hall has offered or provided any structures of their own, or support for the project, Fredriksson plainly said “zero.”

“It is simple as that, I hate to say it… as far as I have seen, there has been zero participation from the city in the last two months on any kind of housing for people in Moccasin Flats,” he said.

You can find out more information on the project and donate here.

“I don’t think it helps in any way to marginalize or blame these people for their situation,” Fredriksson said in closing. “The people I connect with, a lot of them really want to get back to a place of stable living. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says ‘I want to be a drug addict for the rest of my life.’ If you ignore it, it is going to get worse. If you contribute, it is going to get better”