Waterville pitches plan to buy yurts for homeless residents
The city of Waterville is considering buying 10 yurts to house homeless people this winter.
The plan was pitched to the city council by Todd Stevens, a community outreach coordinator hired this year by the police department, the Morning Sentinel reported. Stevens requested $10,000 for 10 four-season yurts.
Additionally, the city would buy portable heating fuel to help the occupants stay warm during the winter.
The structured tents would be placed near the Head of Falls trail where about 40 people have been living.
Mayor Jay Coelho, speaking after a Waterville City Council on Tuesday night, said the plan could be a model for other communities.
A yurt serves as a warm welcome center for visitors on Jan. 17, 2017, at the Quarry Road Trails and Recreation Area in Waterville. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
It would not be the first time a community has looked to the traditional, semi-portable tents as a stop-gap for homelessness.
In Minneapolis, homeless residents recently raised money to build their own yurts with basic materials for about $500 each.
In nearby Duluth, Minnesota, the American Indian Movement partnered with homeowners to erect yurts in back yards as temporary shelters for people who do not have homes.
In Canoga Park, California, advocates built seven foam-panel yurts for people who had been living in tents, to mixed reviews.
Burlington, Vermont, built 30 pods as part of a multifaceted plan to end homelessness by the end of 2024. Each of the rectangular structures is 64 square feet.
People visit a newly-created shelter pod community, Feb. 6, in Burlington, Vermont, shortly before it opened. Credit: Lisa Rathke / AP
The pod community opened in February on a city-owned parking lot in Burlington’s Old North End neighborhood, and includes a separate building with shower, toilet and laundry facilities.
BDN writer Emily Burnham contributed reporting to this story.