The EDAR is the brainchild of Peter Samuelson, a philanthropist and film producer.
The cart features bins to hold cans, bottles and other recyclables collected by day. It folds out to create a sleeping platform, topped by a canvas cover with zippers and windows.
"I've always believed society is defined by how we deal with our weakest links," Samuelson said. "The best of America is when we take care of the less fortunate."
His first instinct was to build shelters, but then he did the math. Building a bed in a facility runs $50,000 to $100,000. The cost to house all of the county's street denizens would run into the billions. Besides, many of them resist services.
So he thought: What is there that's better than a damp box on a rainy night even if it's not as good as a bed?
The idea of a mobile, single-person shelter popped to mind.
The cart features bins to hold cans, bottles and other recyclables collected by day. It folds out to create a sleeping platform, topped by a canvas cover with zippers and windows.
"I've always believed society is defined by how we deal with our weakest links," Samuelson said. "The best of America is when we take care of the less fortunate."
His first instinct was to build shelters, but then he did the math. Building a bed in a facility runs $50,000 to $100,000. The cost to house all of the county's street denizens would run into the billions. Besides, many of them resist services.
So he thought: What is there that's better than a damp box on a rainy night even if it's not as good as a bed?
The idea of a mobile, single-person shelter popped to mind.
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