Artist turns trash into homes for the homeless

Greg Kloehn, right, who takes discarded trash and turns it into rolling shelters for homeless people in his West Oakland, Calif. neighborhood, greets "Wonder," a homeless woman who now lives in the shelter he built for her, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013. (D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group)

OAKLAND, Calif. Gregory Kloehn can turn just about anything into a home.

The Oakland artist spends his summers in Brooklyn living in a trash bin he outfitted with granite countertops, hardwood floors, a rooftop deck, plumbing and a barbecue grill.

But his proudest creations are even cozier structures that he gives to homeless people in his neighborhood.

Kloehn's little homeless homes are about the size of a sofa, but they come with a pitched roof to keep out the rain and wheels so recipients can roll them around town.

So far Kloehn has built 10 of the tiny houses using mostly illegally dumped trash that piles up on the streets in a semi-industrial section of West Oakland. The foundation is usually discarded wood pallets to which Kloehn will add accouterments such as windows, a mirror and a cup holder. Several homes are insulated with discarded pizza delivery bags.

Wonder, a homeless woman Kloehn has known for several years, parked her new house on the sidewalk next to her old home, which consisted primarily of a tarp draped over a couch.

This is the best home I've had in five years, Wonder said as she opened the front door made from a discarded picnic table to reveal the pizza bag insulation. It gets real hot in here, she said.

All the homes have gotten rave reviews. They say this is just night and day, especially when it rains, Kloehn said. Once your mattress gets wet, it's just terrible.

Kloehn, a 43-year-old transplant from Denver, is a sculptor who got on a housing kick after building his five-unit live-work condominium complex from scratch.

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Artist turns trash into homes for the homeless