And it’s all thanks to a selfless little boy and his tooth fairy.
Looking for a heartwarming story to brighten up your day? Then read on. 200 pod homes will be built to fight homelessness in London, in a project led by The Salvation Army, Citizens UK, and pod home developer Hill Group. Due to the units’ energy efficiency, the homes are expected to cost only £5 per week, giving homeless people access to safe, and most importantly, permanent, accommodation.
Hill Group’s ‘SoloHaus‘, a sustainable, single-person-home designed for the homeless, was unveiled at Westminister Abbey to kick off the SHC Partnership. Landowners have now been asked to find open spaces where the fully-furnished units can be built. They are meant to last for about sixty years, and will be gifted to organisations fighting homelessness over the next five years.
But now to the amazing story behind it all: Malachi Justin was only five years old when he decided to gift his tooth fairy money to his local Salvation Army, asking them to spend it on helping homeless people. He wrote: “Dear Salvation Army – I pray you get money to buy houses for everybody. I have £5 from the tooth fairy. Please use it to buy a home. I hope you have a good day. God bless you, Love Malachi.”
What started as a sweet gesture has now turned into a £12 million project to tackle the homelessness crisis in London. After Malachi’s initial £5 donation, more donations followed, ultimately allowing The Salvation Army and Redbridge Council to build a homeless complex in Ilford, east London, named ‘Malachi Place’. The project has now expanded with the SCH Partnership and the implementation of the permanent pod homes across the city.
Read more about the SHC Partnership project here.
For more heartwarming news, check out the London café that rescues homeless cats.