Vancouver Bus Benches Were Designed To Become Homeless Shelters

If you’ve been reading the news lately, you’d almost certainly get the impression that although there’s not really a “good” time to be homeless, many communities are going out of their way to be unkind to homeless people in particular cities. Before hearing a public outcry, London officials installed spikes to prevent people from sleeping in doorways, but some Vancouver bus benches that were in place for a couple of months last year prove how other places around the world are still aiming to show compassion towards people who don’t have homes.

Specially designed Vancouver bus benches were made so they could be converted into spontaneous shelters for people who needed a place to escape bad weather. Although the innovative bus benches were only in place for a two-month period last fall, they’ve recently been getting a great deal of attention. It’s much like the phenomenon that often seems to occur in which a formerly struggling and little-known artist gets the majority of his or her recognition posthumously. Interestingly enough, they’ve specifically caught the eyes of people living outside Vancouver.

A forward-thinking organization called RainCity Housing was behind the initiative, in partnership with a marketing firm called Spring Advertising. In addition to giving people some shelter while they slumbered, each of the bus benches included relevant contact information for people who may have been less fortunate and looking for a helping hand.

Quoted in an article published via CBC News, RainCity Housing’s communications manager Bill Briscall said the bus benches did not get very much attention from Vancouver residents when they were in place. He also clarified how Spring Advertising approached his non-profit with a fully-planned idea for the Vancouver bus benches, and didn’t ask for any money from RainCity Housing.

One potential downside of this sudden flurry of delayed media coverage for the Vancouver bus benches is it could give people the idea they’re still in place along Vancouver sidewalks. However, Briscall said there are no plans to install the benches again, and his organization would prefer to focus on a more permanent type of shelter for people who don’t have housing.

Elsewhere in North America, such as in parts of the United States, some bus benches are certainly not as friendly to people who need a temporary place to sleep. Unlike the Vancouver bus benches, some are made in curved designs, making it impossible for a person to stretch out comfortably. Even though the special bus benches in Vancouver are no longer there, they demonstrated a willingness to go against the norm, at least in terms of treatment of the homeless population.

[Image Credit: RainCity Housing/Spring Advertising]