Homeless Shelters That Prioritize ‘the Three Ps’ — Especially Privacy: Prefabricated modular campuses in Northern California are offering comforts that may help keep people off the streets — with pets, possessions and private space in mind

Shelters are far too often such a terrible experience that even living on the streets in a tent is seen as preferable by many. The accounts of physical and sexual abuse, theft, lack of privacy and general inability to rely on the shelter as a stable place to live leave many traumatized and afraid.

These new modular temporary homes seem like a good first start at addressing this. They offer more privacy and safety and are showing good success at moving people into long term housing

>“When folks are successful, it’s sticky — they’re able to maintain the permanent housing outcome for at least 12 months,” said Paul Simpson, the chief financial officer of LifeMoves, which operates a variety of facilities for the homeless in Silicon Valley and cites data from one of its modular campuses showing that last year, 94 percent of families that moved on to permanent housing remained there and 87 percent of singles and couples did. “We believe we’re on the right track in finding ways to crack the cycle of homelessness rather than just a temporary reprieve.”

Like most projects there are some hiccups especially so early on, but it’s very promising.