flipping the thread script ..... my fave c*c story this weekend
LA man builds a mini house for homeless woman who sleeps on his block because 'everyone should have a right to shelter'
- Elvis Summers would often talk to homeless woman, 'Smokie,' who he let rummage through his recycling bin
- Summers decided to further help Smokie and began collecting materials
- Over five days he built her a mobile home outside his LA apartment
- The house is on wheels and can be easily relocated
- Summers now hopes to make more for other people in need
Elvis Summers became accustomed to letting the homeless woman on his block, 'Smokie,' go through his recycling.
She would stop by his Los Angeles apartment often and the two would talk.
Summers - who runs a company that supplies dancers for parties - said he wished he could further help out Smokie, a mother who is
60-years-old and sleeps in a patch of dirt.
That's when he heard of a a man in Oakland who had built miniature houses out of discarded materials - Summers and decided he could do the same for Smokie.
Handyman with a heart: Elvis Summers couldn't stand the 'lovely' homeless woman on his block, Smokie, live on the streets any longer. So he bought some materials and started building her a miniature house
Under construction: Summers said he spent about $500 on the materials, and
built it properly so the structure was waterproofed
'Being homeless is not a crime': Summers is now trying to find a way to help other people on the streets
Coming together: The little house was built outside Summers' LA apartment and took five days
Almost done: Using discarded materials, Elvis built a miniature house for Smokie - a 60-year-old homeless woman who had been sleeping in a patch of dirt nearby
So Summers got to work.
He rearranged some of his finances and started buying the necessary materials.
Summers did not have anywhere to actually construct the home, so just started doing it on the street.
After five days, and about $500, the miniature house was complete.
Smokie, who has been living on the streets for 10 years, was then given the keys.
It's the first time she's had a proper roof over her head in decade.
The whole process was filmed, with a video uploaded to
YouTube quickly going viral.
Finito: The finished home featured sliding windows and a door with a lock, so Smokie can protect her things
Thankful: It is the first time in 10 years Smokie has had a roof over her head. Here she is thanking Summers after he finished building the house
Summers was smart enough to build the shelter on wheels so it can be easily moved around.
'The local LAPD cops have been super cool, and have told me they support it – as long as we move it to a different spot every 72 hours,' he told
The Good News Network.
Summers added that the way people today perceive homelessness is wrong and antiquated.
$49,265 of $50k
Raised by 1,584 people in 19 days