Expanding Impact with Construction for Change

This summer has been Pallet’s busiest season to date as we built dozens of new shelter communities across the West Coast, spanning from our hometown in the Seattle region down to Southern California. In total, these new shelter communities add hundreds of safe, dignified, and personal shelter beds to cities for the benefit of local residents experiencing homelessness. We’re immensely grateful for our partners in these cities, from elected officials to nonprofit service providers, who have made the decision to act quickly to improve the lives of their neighbors experiencing homelessness.

But there’s more work to be done. More than half a million people in America are experiencing homelessness, and hundreds of thousands will sleep on the streets tonight (and every night until shelter beds that meet their needs become available). We’re in conversation with dozens of additional cities across the nation who have made the decision to shelter their neighbors experiencing homelessness, and are preparing to build Pallet shelter communities in their cities.

That’s why we’re announcing an exciting partnership with Construction for Change today, to expand our shelter community solution across America.

As the number of shelter communities that Pallet builds continues to grow, our team sought a partner who aligned with our social purpose and mission, and could extend our reach across the country as we build new safe, dignified, and personal shelter communities. “We can shelter a person experiencing homelessness the same day we arrive on site – and with the help of Construction for Change, we’ll be able to act even faster, in more locations across the nation,” said Amy King, Pallet’s Founder and CEO.

“We can shelter a person experiencing homelessness the same day we arrive on site – and with the help of Construction for Change, we’ll be able to act even faster, in more locations across the nation.”

— Amy King, Founder and CEO at Pallet

Pallet’s personal shelters can be built in as little as 20 minutes each with minimal tools. Setup time can be improved by teams that have experience with construction, or those who have experience building Pallet’s shelters. Historically, Pallet has sent its own team out to build new community shelter sites, but as the number of shelter communities grows, the network partners at Construction for Change will improve efficiency and ultimately benefit more people in need..

“We’re honored to join Pallet in their effort to offer safe, respectful, and durable shelter solutions to those most vulnerable in our society,” said Kevin Hunter, Executive Director at Construction for Change. “We look forward to working with our strategic alliance of construction sector partners to accelerate the great work Pallet does.”

“We’re honored to join Pallet in their effort to offer safe, respectful, and durable shelter solutions to those most vulnerable in our society.”

— Kevin Hunter, Executive Director at Construction for Change

Effective immediately, Construction for Change and Pallet will seek local contractors, project managers, unions, and trade associations across the country who are interested in working on community impact projects. These teams will participate in shelter assembly and community build training, and eventually aid Pallet in its effort to provide more emergency shelter options for people in need of a pathway out of homelessness.

“Pallet’s safe and secure shelter gets people off of the streets immediately, allows people to stabilize and engage with services, and then move on to permanent housing,” said Amy King. "Whereas permanent housing and mass shelters can take years to construct, we’re building safe, effective, and new shelter beds in a matter of minutes.”

About Construction for Change

Construction for Change (CfC) is a nonprofit construction management organization that partners with nonprofits, NGO’s, and government ministries to design and build spaces that provide communities with access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. CfC manages construction projects by recruiting building experts and project managers to provide pro-bono services, and by hiring local contractors and laborers. The result is high quality, durable, and attractive facilities at a reduced cost to nonprofit and governmental project partners. From schools to medical facilities, these are the spaces where change happens, which is why CfC forges partnerships only with highly-skilled designers, builders, project managers, and contractors.

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