Pallet's Unique Role in the Housing Continuum

As displacement reaches unprecedented levels, it’s time to shift from the status quo and invest in models like Pallet that are intentionally designed to address this crisis.

With the number of people displaced by natural disasters and homelessness growing year after year, this crisis has reached historic levels. A 2022 survey found that 3 million Americans were forced from their homes due to natural disasters over the course of a year, while HUD’s 2024 PIT Count shows an unprecedented 18% increase in domestic homelessness. 

Current solutions are not adequate to address the diverse and evolving needs of these populations, whether displacement is caused by climate-related events, the lack of affordable housing supply, or myriad other reasons. It’s time to reexamine shelter options that offer efficiency, long-term cost savings, and intentional design to solve for the crisis at hand. 

Intentional Design, Proven Effectiveness

The disadvantages associated with conventional shelter models, from mass congregate settings to temporarily utilizing hotels and apartment buildings, demand alternative approaches that can provide a sense of stability and dignity. Many of these inadequacies stem from the fact that they are not designed to meet the varied needs of displaced residents following an emergency. 

Traditional congregate shelter offers the ability to rapidly shelter a large amount of people under one roof, but its efficacy is limited to a short period of time following a natural disaster due to a lack of privacy and anxieties surrounding health and public safety. This approach also has demonstrated shortcomings for individuals experiencing homelessness. In some situations, unsheltered people are reluctant to accept a bed in a nightly congregate shelter due to safety concerns—particularly those who have lived through trauma such as domestic violence or discrimination. 

In recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic, communities have turned to non-congregate models. Often, this means repurposing hotels and apartment buildings to use as temporary emergency shelter. Studies have shown that these models often lead to higher acceptance rates and satisfaction from people who have stayed at congregate shelters, but over time, operating costs can become exorbitant. For example, after the devastating Lahaina wildfires on Maui in August 2023, it was found that over 2,500 displaced Hawaiians were put up in hotels that cost taxpayers up to $1,175 per night. 

Pallet’s innovative panelized shelter design and site model solves these issues. Not only do we use a trauma-informed approach to create our shelters, but sites are operated with the goal of providing residents with the onsite supportive services needed to build—or rebuild—their futures. Families, couples, and individuals with pets are allowed to stay together in the privacy of their own personal unit. And because Pallet shelters are durable and reusable for 15+ years, they offer communities long-term cost savings and can be easily disassembled and redeployed as needed.  

Versatility and Rapid-Response Capabilities

In densely populated areas with ongoing unsheltered homelessness crises, unexpected emergencies (like an extreme weather event) can compound preexisting housing shortages. Those experiencing homelessness could be pushed out of hotels or other temporary stays to accommodate people who have lost their homes. In these situations, such as the prolonged cleanup of the Los Angeles wildfires due to health and safety concerns, a Pallet site could be rapidly developed to accommodate displaced residents while eliminating the need to force underserved populations out of shelter and onto the streets.  

When compared to the noted high price and infrastructure needs of FEMA trailers, not to mention their steep depreciation and inability to efficiently store them after use, Pallet is an economical and adaptable choice for non-congregate emergency shelter. With minimal site preparation requirements and low ongoing operational costs, all that’s needed to set up a Pallet shelter site is a flat plot of land and standard utility hookups for electricity and communal hygiene facilities. 

Improving Solutions to the Displacement Crisis

We know that current offerings for emergency shelter are limited and insufficient. It’s time to invest in innovative models like Pallet, which can be easily adapted to the various and evolving needs of communities in crisis. 

By more effectively allocating funding and resources to non-congregate shelter models, communities can offer the stability needed for displaced residents to transition to permanent housing—all while building resilience and improving responsiveness to future emergencies.