From launching a new product to expanding our footprint and creating our new workforce model, it was an eventful year at Pallet. Read on for our top stories of 2024.

As we look back on 2024, we are both proud of our advancements in providing safe, secure spaces for unsheltered populations and motivated to keep pushing forward. Even as we passed 5,000 shelters built in North America, expanded our reach into Canada, and released a new innovative product line to offer faster deployment and comfort for residents, the human displacement crisis persists—encouraging the Pallet team to continue working tirelessly until everyone has a stable place to call home.

Here's a round-up of our top stories from this year. 

1. Pallet Hits the Road in California

Kicking off the year, the Pallet team embarked on a roadshow through California to showcase our new S2 product line and meet people working on the ground in their communities to solve their local displacement crises. We stopped in 11 different cities from Sacramento all the way to Los Angeles, displaying our S2 units and demonstrating the positive impact Pallet has made for unhoused communities across North America. [Keep Reading]

2. Launching Our S2 Shelter Line

Featuring an innovative panel connection system enabling even faster deployment, improved safety features, and increased comfort for residents, our S2 line is the next evolution of our in-house engineered and manufactured shelter products. Every decision we made in developing these new products was informed by input from residents living in Pallet shelters across the country and our own lived experience workforce. [Keep Reading]

3. Pallet's First Canadian Site Opens in Kelowna

Offering 60 individual shelter units for people experiencing homelessness in Kelowna, BC, STEP Place is Pallet’s first community installed in Canada. The City of Kelowna partnered with the Province of British Columbia and BC Housing to provide safe, secure spaces for people to stabilize and access onsite services provided by John Howard Society of Okanagan and Kootenay. 

“We recognize the immediate need to bring unhoused people in Kelowna indoors and provide them the care they need,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “Through this housing, people experiencing homelessness can be supported as they stabilize and move forward with their lives.” [Keep Reading] 

4. Denver Opens First Village of S2 Shelters

Just in time for the New Year and part of Mayor Johnston’s plan to house 1,000 unhoused Denver residents by 2025, the opening of the city’s first micro-community also marked the first site comprising Pallet’s S2 Sleeper shelters.

“This is such a symbol of what we wanted to create,” said Cole Chandler, the mayor’s homeless czar. “It wasn't just about getting people indoors, but it's about bringing people back to life and helping people thrive. And you see that in this space.” [Keep Reading]

5. Introducing Our Purpose-Led Workforce Model

From the very beginning of Pallet, we have placed our team members at the core of our mission to give people a fair chance at employment. The majority of our staff have lived experience of homelessness, incarceration, recovery from substance use disorder, or involvement in the criminal legal system. With our Purpose-Led Workforce Model, we are taking the next step in helping our team grow and advance their careers. [Keep Reading] 

6. Public-Private Collaboration in Santa Fe

Working together, the City of Santa Fe and Christ Lutheran Church opened the state’s first micro-community of its kind to provide shelter and supportive services for unhoused New Mexicans.

“It takes a community working together to really solve the challenge of homelessness, and that is our aim: to have zero homelessness in Santa Fe,” said Mayor Alan Webber. “We will keep working to make sure the people who are homeless in Santa Fe are housed, safe, secure, with respect, dignity, and with services.” [Keep Reading] 

7. Tonya: "I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile"

Tonya knows Everett like the back of her hand. She spent most of her childhood on the north side of town but has lived in various neighborhoods throughout her life. So it seems fitting that now, after a decade of living on the streets of her hometown, she’s found a new path at Pallet and already moved into a place of her own mere steps away from HQ.

As one of the first participants in Pallet’s Career Launch PAD (Program for Apprenticeship Development), Tonya and her classmates are starting on the path to building independence and a brighter future for themselves. [Keep Reading] 

8. Pallet Provides Shelter in Response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton

In rapid response to the disasters sustained in Florida following two major hurricanes, the Pallet deployment team jumped into action to build 50 shelters to help people get displaced by Helene and Milton get inside to safety.

By working closely with Pasco County administrators, county commissioners, facilities departments, and Catholic Charities, we were able to deploy and assemble the shelters mere days after the storms passed. [Keep Reading]

9. Connecting Pallet Team Members with Housing

At Pallet, our people are our purpose. Giving people a fair chance at stable employment and creating a supportive environment that fosters wellness and growth for all our team members is a crucial part of our mission. 

A key part of this is ensuring that everyone on our team has all the tools and resources they need to succeed. In our work building shelter communities for displaced populations across North America, we know firsthand how having a safe, stable place to live is not only a basic human right—it is also the foundation for maintaining health, helping those with substance use disorder on their recovery journeys, and healing trauma. 

That’s why we are proud to have become a Community Partner with Housing Connector, an organization that helps find housing for marginalized individuals and families. In our first year of the partnership, Housing Connector has been instrumental in finding housing for 4 Pallet team members by removing barriers and locating available properties. [Keep Reading]

Data collected from sites across the country shows how the Pallet village model helps residents transition to more permanent solutions. 

Every person’s journey to permanent housing is different. The trauma of displacement means every individual encounters their own barriers to finding a stable place to call home. And once someone exits this continuum of care that includes congregate and non-congregate shelter, supportive housing, and other forms of assistance, their success story often goes undocumented. 

Although it is challenging to track a person’s progress through the housing continuum with accuracy and consistency, it is crucial to seek out this information and ensure our approach is effective. Pallet’s mission is to provide the supportive environment needed for displaced populations to move onto permanent housing, and this data tells us if our model is working and how we can improve our methods to best suit the needs of every village resident. 

Establishing an Open Dialogue is Key 

Our partnerships with village service providers are essential in both tracking residents’ progress and gathering context for what resources are needed in each unique community. Site locations across North America are faced with specific root causes of displacement, meaning there is no “one size fits all” solution. This is why once a village is built, our work isn’t finished: details like ongoing operations, maintenance needs, and supportive service provision all tell a distinct story that informs the future of Pallet. 

Survey responses from village operators show that on an average day, 10 people move from an existing Pallet village to permanent housing. This tells us that in a broad sense, the pairing of dignified shelter with wraparound services like food and water, hygiene facilities, healthcare, counseling, and employment placement programs are effective in equipping residents with the tools necessary to transition to more permanent solutions. This trend works out to 3,200 expected transitions per year. 

Measurable Success 

Our ongoing relationships with service providers also bring to attention success stories like Tim’s, who found his own apartment after living in the Salvation Army Safe Outdoor Space in Aurora, CO. Connections to a state-sponsored pension program via onsite staff and help from the Aurora Housing Authority were instrumental in leading Tim to his own home, showing an effective model tailored to the individual needs of each resident. 

Vancouver, WA’s approach to address their homelessness crisis, centered on a robust scope of resident services, has also proven success in helping vulnerable individuals on the path to housing. Their first Safe Stay community, The Outpost, reported 30 people moving to permanent housing since opening. Meanwhile, Hope Village achieved 14 transitions in their first year of operations, attributing resident success to a compassionate, healing communal environment with resources including meals, food bank deliveries, clothing, transportation, and assistance obtaining legal identification. 

A Way Forward 

Aurora and Vancouver are just two examples of sites that have experienced success with the Pallet village model. We believe that while interim shelter is a crucial part in creating safe spaces for vulnerable people to stabilize, it takes a breadth of additional support. This is why we view our product development through the lens of trauma-informed design and lean on our lived experience workforce for perspective: to ensure we are continuing to refine our mission to serve displaced communities to the best of our ability. 

By investing in this approach and making concerted efforts toward inclusive wraparound services, any city has the potential to provide displaced populations with pathways to stable and permanent housing. 

Understanding the differences between affordable and attainable initiatives is key to a future of stable, equitable housing.

Skyrocketing rental prices, astronomical interest rates, insufficient supply: the severe lack of affordable housing options is not a new development. As of March 2023, a shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental homes was reported, disproportionately affecting low- and extremely low-income families and individuals.

Housing affordability has become a chronic challenge—homeownership has been deemed unaffordable in 80 percent of U.S. counties—prompting policymakers to address this crisis through a variety of affordable housing initiatives. But to make a true impact on housing initiatives, understanding the distinction between "affordable" and "attainable" housing is crucial. While affordable housing targets specific income brackets, attainable housing places a focus on removing a slew of barriers and bringing suitable options within reach for a wider demographic.

Challenges in Housing Attainability

Despite numerous federal programs aimed at providing affordable housing, a significant gap exists between demand and available support. Strict eligibility criteria and additional screening processes often exclude vulnerable populations from assistance: one in four extremely low-income families in need of housing assistance actually receive it. This leaves an estimated 40.6 million Americans burdened by high housing costs, where more than 30 percent of their income is spent on housing and limits their ability to meet basic needs.

Various systemic barriers, including discriminatory practices and economic thresholds, also hinder a person’s access to attainable housing. Landlord discrimination against housing voucher holders, coupled with restrictive zoning laws, further exacerbates the crisis. Moreover, individuals lacking necessary documentation or with legal system records face significant challenges in securing stable housing.

While housing assistance programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the Housing Choice Voucher Program play a crucial role in federal housing strategies, recipients face significant disadvantages including resource limitations and systemic biases. In particular, public housing has experienced a history of mismanagement and underfunding, perpetuating generational patterns of poverty and instability.

Proven Solutions to Improve Housing Attainability

To effectively break the cycle of housing insecurity, a multifaceted approach is necessary. This includes increased government funding, mixed-income housing developments, and expanded access to private capital for developers. Additionally, lowering the multitude of barriers facing vulnerable and low-income populations—accomplished through reforms in zoning laws, enhanced support for renters through federal programs, and amending punitive regulations aimed at formerly incarcerated individuals or those with legal system involvement—is a crucial step toward attainable housing solutions.

By prioritizing attainability, creating innovative partnerships, and developing more inclusive affordable housing initiatives, we can work towards ending housing insecurity while building economic stability and stronger social communities.

To learn more about solutions that address practical, accessible, and attainable housing for all, download our Attainable Housing White Paper.

To ensure our shelter design truly meets the needs of Pallet village residents, we spoke with some of the first people living in our new S2 units to gain feedback and insight from their experience. 

The core of Pallet’s mission is to provide safe, secure shelter for people who have experienced displacement and offer a healing environment that helps residents on their next steps toward permanent housing. In developing our innovative S2 product line, we incorporated crucial feedback from our own lived experience workforce and applied key principles of trauma-informed design, knowing that this input is an essential part of creating dignified and comfortable spaces for every Pallet village resident. 

Everett Gospel Mission (EGM), a village in our hometown, was the first site to receive 70-square-foot models of our S2 Sleeper shelters. We connected with four residents who had lived in the original shelter designs at EGM and now have moved to S2 units—Kenny, Jimi, Summer, and Erik—to hear their feedback on the new shelters and learn about their stories. 

Kenny 

Kenny has lived at EGM for nearly two years, originally moving to the site with his friend Libby after losing their housing. He had never experienced homelessness before or spent any time in congregate shelters. 

He says since moving to the S2 shelter, he’s noticed the thicker walls have improved insulation and heat retention, reduced condensation, and made the interior more soundproof—a helpful detail since he’s teaching himself to play guitar. 

“You don’t hear the rain as much: it’s quieter, way quieter,” Kenny said. “I can be a little louder in the brand new one compared to the old one, because I like to turn the amp up real loud, you know, and play the guitar and stuff. It stays warm in there a lot longer too I’ve noticed. Yeah, it’s overall better.” 

Kenny gets along with everyone else living at EGM and doesn’t find it hard to make friends with others in the village. He noted how he likes the residential windows in the S2 unit: him and his neighbor will both open them up and talk from the comfort of their own space. 

“It’s kind of cool, because the bed’s right there, so I just open the window and I can talk to the neighbor, and he’ll open his,” he told us. “He bet me four bucks that they would touch if we opened them.” 

Kenny easily won that bet. 

Jimi 

Coming to live at EGM after being hit by a car while crossing the street, Jimi is using his time in the village to focus on sorting out medical issues and navigating a settlement in the case of a broken lease agreement. Sporting a leather jacket and a slick pair of yellow Chuck Taylor’s, he told us he’s grateful to have a temporary space after a tumultuous period of having nowhere to stay and limited means to transport his belongings to a storage space. 

“It helps me not have to feel rushed,” Jimi said. “I got a pretty good head injury when I got hit. I don’t remember like I used to. I used to be able to multitask, but now I have to concentrate on one thing. So, being here gives me a chance to plan things, do one thing at a time.” 

Jimi mentioned the new unit offers a calmer environment because it’s quieter. 

“The thickness of the walls really makes a difference as far as noise,” he said. 

Being able to store and arrange his belongings neatly with the integrated shelving is also a plus. 

“[There is] a good place to hang your clothes,” Jimi said. “They have little shelves and a place to put hangers and stuff. That’s a lot better. Feels like you can organize your stuff a little easier.” 

Summer 

Experiencing homelessness for four years before moving into EGM, Summer has been a resident of the village since it opened. She finds comfort in decorating and caring for her plants and flowers, a hobby she picked up since moving into the community. She even arranged planters in communal areas in addition to the inside and outside of her own shelter. 

“I did all the flowers that are out here and all the gardening and stuff,” Summer said. “I was doing it for myself already and they said, ‘Hey, let’s put in more for everybody,’ so I just ended up doing all of it.” 

Summer told us she likes the ability to customize her shelter and make it her own. She’s added extra storage cubes and shelves, as well as hung mobiles she’s made from the ceiling. A mirror, a TV, and, of course, more plants make Summer’s shelter feel cozier and more unique. 

“Everybody always is like, ‘Oh my god, your house looks so much different than everybody else’s!’” 

She noted the size of the windows, larger bed, and improved heat circulation are notable details that make the S2 unit comfortable. 

Overall, Summer said her favorite part of living at EGM is the ability to feel settled and have a space of her own. 

“I could sit, you know, and actually stay and decorate it,” she explained. “I can feel comfortable and actually move in and not have to worry about police making me leave or having to drag everything with me. I have a place I can go in and sit down and have room for company and a TV.” 

Erik 

Erik has only lived at EGM for four months, spending the first two in the original shelter design before moving into the newer model. He said the increased square footage in the S2 unit is a significant improvement in maneuvering his wheelchair, and the larger bed is a better fit for him. 

“I can move around a lot better in a wheelchair,” he told us. “To be able to sit in it and turn around makes a huge difference. And the bed is a little bit wider, so I sleep a lot better. It’s lower too, because I was tending to sit up against the bed in the older one. Those made my legs fall asleep and cut my circulation off. With the new style bed, that’s totally better: I can sit up on the edge of the bed and my legs won’t fall asleep.” 

He also said the tighter seals on the corner connections and improved insulation from the wall panels helps keep the heat in. 

“Having it hold the heat is a big difference too because it makes you feel like you’re in a better structure, since it’s not leaking out the seams.” 

When Erik was hospitalized due to heart failure, he lost his housing, his car was impounded, and he found himself living on the streets. This was after working his whole career in the construction industry: first building houses, and then operating his own concrete company. He said it was a shock to exit the hospital and lose so much, along with experiencing displacement for the first time in his life. 

Even with this devastating loss and coping with his medical issues, he is appreciative to be part of the community at EGM and have his own shelter. 

“I think it’s great and it’s a great program, it’s a great thing [Pallet] is doing making those and making them available for communities to put them in and help people out,” he said. “Because I definitely need help. So it’s a beautiful thing what you guys are doing, because when people need help, you’re part of the solution.” 

To learn more about how the design of our S2 shelters was informed by those with lived experience, read our blog. 

All the details that come together to make our new S2 shelter line were inspired and informed by feedback from our own lived experience workforce.

One of Pallet’s foundational elements is our lived experience workforce. As a fair chance employer, we provide opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness, recovery from substance use disorder, and involvement in the criminal legal system to build their futures.

We often talk about how our approach to designing Pallet shelters and implementing them within a healing community village model is informed by those with lived experience. In developing our S2 shelter line within the lens of trauma-informed design, these voices were crucial to ensure that our shelters provide private, safe, and dignified living spaces for displaced populations and encourage positive housing transitions.

There are many seemingly minute considerations that influenced the design of our S2 Sleeper and EnSuite models. To capture how important these details truly are for village residents, we gathered Pallet’s first Lived Experience Cohort—Josh, Alan, Sarah, and Dave—to describe in their own words how each design aspect is significant for anyone who has experienced the trauma of displacement.

Comfort

Significant changes in aesthetic, functionality, and fixtures make the S2 line a more comfortable living space overall. Smooth wall panels make the interior of each shelter more welcoming.

“The biggest thing is the aluminum [interior flashing] is gone,” says Josh. “So it feels like a home. It seems like someone took time to make it.”

When Josh was in Sacramento on Pallet’s California Roadshow, he noticed how attendees felt while touring S2 shelters.

“Almost everyone who walked in said, ‘This feels very warm. It’s so inviting to walk in here, it’s so open.’”

Dave comments on the effect this feeling would have on someone who has experienced homelessness.

“One of the most disturbing things to me when I was out there was coming to that realization: ‘I don’t have a f***ing home anymore,’” he recalls. “And to go into something that feels like a home, that you can call your little home, that’s really nice. That’s huge.”

Residential windows are another significant detail that Sarah notes.

“They give more lighting, so it doesn’t feel like a jail cell,” she says.

“They’re way better windows,” Dave adds. “[Residents] have a big, nice window to look out of now.”

Installing larger beds was also a noted concern, and the Twin XL is a more inclusive option.

“I think the larger sized mattresses are great,” she says. “Now villages can get twin sheets and covers and protective sheets that fit. And the fact that these new mattresses are waterproof, even the threading on the seams.”

The S2 EnSuite is Pallet’s first sleeping shelter with integrated hygiene facilities. Josh says the opportunity to have this kind of space with access to his own bathroom would have been a significant aid in his recovery journey.

“If I moved into the EnSuite, that would have blown my mind,” he quips. “If I was coming off the street or living in my Explorer like I was at the time, and moved into that, I might have been clean way sooner. Because it would’ve given me some hope that somebody cared.”

Safety Features

Pallet’s in-house engineering team created the S2 shelter line with safety at its core. In addition to the structurally insulated panels that offer durability and robust wind, fire, and snow load ratings, the elimination of exposed hardware in the interior is another detail that ensures safety for residents of all ages and walks of life.

Input from our lived experience team and feedback from Pallet village residents across the country also led to tweaks to the included fixtures, reducing the likelihood of essential safety functions being disarmed or damaged.

“We were pushing to get a cage over the smoke alarm, or something to prevent people from taking them off,” Sarah remembers. “Now [with the hardwired connection] you can’t shut off the power to the smoke alarm.”

The consideration that displacement affects different communities—from single residents with pets to families with young children—also influenced changes in other design elements of the S2 that may have gone unnoticed otherwise.

“I think the electrical panel is better: now we have the breakers on the outside and the plugs on the inside,” Josh adds. “So it keeps you from wanting to easily tamper with it.”

Dignity

Offering a more customizable layout and built-in wire shelving in the S2 line creates a dignified space for every Pallet shelter resident.

“Having a place to hang up clothes, that’s something I heard a lot when I was talking to residents in California,” Sarah comments. “That was a huge improvement, because if you’re still having to constantly live out of your bags and your suitcase, you’re not moving forward to get out of that survival mode.”

The ability to freely move the bed and desk is also a significant detail for people who have experienced institutional or congregate shelter settings.

“If I saw the bed set up in between two windows, I would say, ‘There’s absolutely no way I would pass out in between in between two windows,’” Alan quips. “I would sleep underneath the bed maybe. Because people walking past the windows, it just doesn’t make me feel very safe.”

Sarah agrees: “And then too, if you want to rearrange or just make it your own, everyone’s going to have a different feel of where they want to sleep on any given day. It gives you freedom. And if you have the freedom to live how you want to live, it gives you the sense of self-sufficiency rather than having to follow all the strict congregate shelter rules.”

Josh further highlights how significant this feeling of freedom can be when looking back on his own experiences.

“See, I would have never moved it, but having the opportunity to move it is a big thing,” he says. “Because when you’re in jail, your bed is where it is. Your seat is where it is. There’s no moving it around, so being able to move your house around like anyone else, it makes you feel more like a human being.”

Ultimately, our Lived Experience Cohort members agree that implementing these changes to create the S2 line advances our mission to help displaced populations transition to more permanent solutions.

“In the future when we come out with new products, it’ll probably be like, ‘Oh wow, I didn’t really think of this before,’” Josh offers. “But right now I think this is the best we can do. It really is, until we get more feedback on what the next thing is.”

“We are providing that space for people to take the next step,” Sarah replies. “We can’t personally give good wraparound services because that’s not our thing, but we can provide the environment for it. It takes all these little things to get out of survival mode, but the first step is to get off the streets, and that’s where we start. It takes a village to help a village.”

Adopting the principles of trauma-informed design is a crucial framework for creating a safe, supportive, and healing environment in every shelter we build. 

When developing and designing Pallet shelters, our top priority is to best serve the needs of displaced populations. This is why we have our dignity standards in place: to ensure that each shelter village provides a positive, supportive community environment for every resident. 

But we also understand our responsibility to design our shelters so they offer a private, healing atmosphere for people to plan their transitions to more permanent solutions. It has long been understood that the way we interact with and utilize physical spaces—along with our emotional and psychological reactions to those spaces—are dictated by a wide range of design choices. An airy, open lobby with large windows and ample natural lighting is bound to elicit a completely different response compared to an enclosed, fluorescent-lit office. 

Only recently has this concept been integrated into architectural design specifically catered to vulnerable users. With trauma-informed care as a framework, trauma-informed design (TID) seeks to create physical spaces centered around principles like safety, empowerment, and well-being. Building with these concepts in mind can actively aid a person’s development, grow their ability to trust others, and avoid the possibility of re-traumatization. 

Experiencing chronic homelessness, coping with substance use disorder, reintegrating into the community after being incarcerated, or suddenly losing your home to a natural disaster are all traumatic experiences. By viewing our product development and engineering processes through the lens of TID and incorporating features that promote healing, inclusion, and stabilization, we aim to provide shelter that supports the needs of those impacted by the trauma of displacement. 

Here are some of the ways we applied the four main principles of TID—Safety & Trust; Choice & Empowerment; Community & Collaboration; and Beauty & Joy—in the design of our innovative S2 shelter line: 

1. Privacy: A key aspect of TID is privacy. When someone moves into a Pallet shelter, they are able to access a personal space of their own with a locking door. For people who have experienced living unsheltered, staying in congregate settings, or being incarcerated, walking through the door with to a private and restful place is a powerful moment. 

2. Security: In addition to a locking solid core door equipped with a kick plate and peephole, having each shelter as part of a larger community model with onsite security personnel makes residents feel less isolated, even when enjoying the privacy of their own unit. Outside lighting also promotes a feeling of safety for residents of Pallet villages. 

3. Safety Features: Extensive product testing guarantees that S2 shelters are safe in even extreme conditions—whether it’s wind, snow, rain, or extreme cold. Each unit is equipped with a smoke/CO detector, a fire extinguisher, and an egress window in case of emergency. 

4. Residential Fixtures: Interior options like a freestanding bed and desk visually separate S2 shelters from institutional settings while allowing for a customizable layout. Features like operable residential windows and LED lighting also help residents minimize associations with environments where they potentially experienced trauma. The S2 EnSuite, Pallet’s first sleeping shelter with an integrated bathroom, includes a toilet, sink, and shower. For vulnerable populations with specific traumatic experiences, access to private hygiene facilities can be a significant step toward healing. 

5. Climate Control Options: Beyond keeping shelters warm in the winters and cool in the summers, integrated heating and A/C allows residents to freely adjust temperatures to fit their personal preferences. 

6. Storage and Organization: Integrated shelving and storage space grant residents to safely store their possessions, display meaningful belongings, and organize necessities like clothes and food—bringing a sense of autonomy and respect not found in institutional settings. 

7. Clean, Simple Aesthetic: Pallet’s patent pending connection system and the structurally insulated panels used in the S2 line allow for smooth exterior and interior walls, creating a warm, inviting environment in each shelter. 

Pallet is committed to applying the philosophy of TID in our shelters to accommodate village residents who have lived through trauma. Applying these concepts, along with listening to feedback from real users and our own lived experience workforce, helped us develop the S2 shelter line as our most innovative solution to the crisis of human displacement. We believe that every design detail, no matter how small it may seem, can make a big difference in someone’s journey to permanent housing and reintegration. 

To see how S2 shelters provided rapid shelter and warmth for unhoused Denver residents by the New Year, read our case study. 

Look back at our top stories of the year: from product innovation to expanding our footprint and receiving dispatches from our villages around the country, these highlights capture what Pallet achieved in 2023.

As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back at the stories we’ve shared throughout 2023. With the most recent PIT count reflecting a 12% increase in homelessness in the U.S., the need for innovative solutions like Pallet continues to grow. Over this past year, our team has doubled down on lived experience-led product innovation with the development of our new S2 product line, all the while growing our capacity by adding over 300 additional shelters and laying the groundwork to expand our response into Canada.  

Here’s a round-up of our top stories from this year.  

1. Pallet Builds Its 100th Village

Just before Christmas in 2022, we crossed a milestone — building our 100th village. It’s located in Tulalip, WA which is just a short drive north of our headquarters. The location holds special meaning for some Pallet employees who previously experienced homelessness in the area and are now finding purpose in building transitional housing to help others in the community. The village is made up of twenty 64 sq. ft. shelters and one 100 sq. ft. shelter and was constructed in just two days by the Pallet deployment team. The Tulalip tribe manages the site and provides onsite services for community members. Residents moved into the 20 shelters early February 2023. [Keep Reading]

2. Jennifer & Alan: Closing the Loop Through Giving Back

The two first met each other a handful of years ago when they were living on the streets of the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Washington. Today, they’re coworkers at Pallet. Their witty humor makes them a dynamic duo dropping hilarious one-liners as they tell stories about their past. Indeed, they can have a crowd in stitches.  

“I relate to many of the people here because we can laugh about things that most people would get appalled by,” Alan says in admiration of his co-workers, many of whom share similar lived experiences.   
 
Jennifer agrees – they have witnessed the darker sides of life. But, she says, they’ve risen above them. “It’s like, you guys, we have overcome so much and we’re killing it now. We are rock stars,” she says, laughing.  

She and Alan are proud to have surmounted substance use disorder and other challenges that are, truthfully, nothing to laugh at. Right now though, they’re excited to be working on Pallet shelters for a new village on the Tulalip Reservation where they were once unhoused themselves. [Keep Reading]

3. Introducing PathForward™

There is no one solution to end homelessness. Every municipality and every community have their own specific needs. While our Pallet villages coupled with wraparound supportive services are a successful model, we understand there are other strategies to address the homelessness crisis. Working closely with cities across the country, we realize communities want to find the right solutions and know our expertise and learnings from deploying over 100 shelter villages could help them drive change. So, we’ve launched PathForward™ homelessness advisory services. 

Pallet’s PathForward provides support for cities to create customized solutions with defined goals and resources like funding roadmaps, implementation plans, policy research, capacity building, partnerships, project management and more. Our service uses data-backed strategies anchored by people with lived experience. Cities can work with Pallet in a variety of ways including long-term partnerships, special projects, and one-off advice. [Keep Reading] 

4. Dignity as a Guiding Principle

To help our unhoused neighbors transition out of homelessness and build a better future, providing shelter is one of many steps. A dignified living situation means reliable access to food and water, hygiene facilities, transportation, safety, supportive services, and more.  

We created our Dignity Standards with these basic needs in mind. Guided by input from Pallet team members with lived experience, their purpose is to hold all stakeholders accountable, including ourselves, and always act in the best interest of the communities we serve. They also function as guidelines for the cities and service providers who operate our villages, intended to evolve and refine as we learn what works best. Because without dignity, who are we?  [Keep Reading]

5. Rebuilding Her Life: Linda

In our Village Voices series, we shine a spotlight on residents living in Pallet shelter villages across the country and give them the chance to share their stories. 

Linda Daniels was walking down the street with her bags looking for a place to sleep that night. An outreach worker happened to notice her and asked if she needed help. Within two weeks, she was a resident of the Rapid Shelter Columbia village.  

A month in, Linda says the chance to have her own space to rest, to return to after a long day as a custodial worker at the University of South Carolina, and to collect her thoughts has been pivotal in being able to move forward.  

“It means the world to me, because I got my own space, and I got my own place to where I can call mine right now,” she says. “I like being by myself a lot of times. So if I’m going through something, I can come in my room and think about what I’m going through and try to make things better. And I think this is a wonderful thing.”  [Keep Reading] 

6. Dave: Right Where I’m Supposed To Be

Early on, Dave had already made his own way in life. He started his manufacturing career with Boeing at age 20, got married, had three children, and bought a home for his family. After achieving all this and growing up in a large family in Everett with good relationships with his parents and siblings, it might come as a surprise to hear what was going through his mind at the hospital on May 12th, 2019.  

“I was 100% resigned I was gonna die in my addiction,” he recalls. “But then that moment of clarity, that spiritual awakening, that epiphany, whatever you want to call it, hit me in there. I’m like, ‘this is not gonna be my legacy that I died with a f***ing needle in my arm sitting in the hospital. I’m gonna fight this,’ you know? And I did. And I appreciate every single day.” [Keep Reading] 

7. Four Ways to Fund a Pallet Shelter Village 

Pallet shelter villages serve as transitional spaces for people experiencing homelessness. They provide the dignity and security of private units within a community, along with a resource net of onsite social services, food, showers, laundry, and more to help people transition to more permanent solutions.  

Several components to consider when building a village include identifying which Pallet shelters best suit the needs of the community, finding a site location, setting up infrastructure, and selecting a service provider. Funding is also crucial. Below are four sources that can be combined to fund the costs associated with creating a Pallet shelter village. [Keep Reading] 

8. Proven Safety: Rigorously Testing and Certifying Our Shelters 

With thousands of Pallet shelters across the country, we’re constantly gathering feedback on their design from customers. This information is crucial for our in-house engineering team. It allows them to understand what our shelters must withstand in the real world.   

With that knowledge, they can design Pallet shelters to meet various demands, and rigorously test them onsite.   

And yet, we don’t stop there. We also third-party certify our shelters to truly validate their designs.   

All this is critical because our shelters often go into storm-prone and extreme weather zones. They must reliably protect the residents who live in them, all while remaining cost-effective.  

Our new S2 shelters illustrate our deep commitment to R&D. Building on our legacy of intentional, quality engineering, they advance our mission to offer safe, dignified housing for displaced and vulnerable populations.  [Keep Reading]

9. Rethinking Post-Disaster Housing Solutions

By now it’s a familiar sight: cities and towns ravaged by hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, or wildfires; homes and living spaces decimated; and people ushered into stadiums, schools, or anywhere that has the capacity for those displaced. In 2022 alone, 3.3 million Americans were displaced by disasters—and one in six people never returned to their homes.   

While mass congregate shelter is often the only viable option to aid survivors directly following a natural disaster, it is not a sustainable solution for the days, weeks, or months that follow. In the variable, unpredictable period when homes, rental housing, and other living facilities are being rebuilt, there is a distinct scarcity of interim shelter options that fit the diverse needs of displaced populations. 

It’s time to take a closer look at why our current system of post-disaster housing isn’t sufficient, and to provide broader, more equitable options for people displaced by natural disasters.  [Keep Reading] 

10. Roxana: Power in Compassion 

Most people would assume bringing a shelter village to life couldn’t be accomplished by a single person. Completing an undertaking of this scale is typically the culmination of a team of stakeholders overcoming various obstacles: identifying funding sources; finding an appropriate site; setting up necessary infrastructure like water and electricity; and rallying the community for support. Roxana Boroujerdi is unlike most people.

Located on the grounds of Everett’s Faith Lutheran Church, Faith Family Village comprises eight Pallet sleeping shelters and two hygiene units that will serve local families experiencing homelessness. The village will also offer supportive services that aim to create paths to employment, education, and permanent housing—alongside facilities and activities that create a safe and fun environment for children living onsite.  

And even with her fair share of personal challenges, none of it would have come to fruition without Roxana. [Keep Reading]

After an emergency evacuation at a low-barrier permanent supportive housing site, Pallet was able to prevent resident displacement within 48 hours.

When thinking about emergency evacuations, it’s common that natural disasters like hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires first come to mind. But there are many other scenarios that can threaten the stability of a living situation and cause abrupt displacement, making the provision of emergency shelter solutions crucial in a moment’s notice.

Clare’s Place, a permanent supportive housing complex in Everett, WA, experienced exactly this kind of emergency in October.

When 48 of the 65 units in the building came back positive in tests for environmental contamination, all residents were forced to evacuate due to safety and health hazards. Clare’s Place is a low-barrier site that serves vulnerable community members including chronically homeless individuals, those diagnosed with mental illness, and people living with substance use disorder. Staff needed to identify an appropriate solution immediately to temporarily house the affected residents.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin promptly contacted Pallet’s Founder and CEO Amy King, looking to rapidly install shelter units to accommodate the residents evacuated from Clare’s Place. In order to serve the needs of those displaced, residents would need the ability to remain close to their possessions and case managers, so the units would ideally be built directly on the property.

Members of the Pallet Deployment team sprang into action. Working tirelessly overnight, they were assisted by Catholic Community Services (CCS, who operate Clare’s Place) and assembled 30 shelters in the parking lot. Snohomish County PUD also responded and supplied the site with power.

Within 48 hours of that initial call, shelters were deployed, assembled, and move-in ready as a safe and urgent solution to temporarily house residents of Clare’s Place. Because of Pallet’s stockpile of 64-square-foot sleeping shelters, the site was established with the urgency required for this emergency.

This unfolding of events speaks to the utility and efficacy of interim shelter as an emergency solution for displaced populations—particularly vulnerable communities that require hands-on supportive services. The capability to provide essential aid with urgency also points to the advantage of stockpiling this model of shelter. When residents living at the Clare’s Place site are able to move back into their apartments, the shelters will be stored as a supply for future emergencies in Everett.

To learn more about the instrumental role interim shelter can play in emergency situations, download our Post-Disaster Housing Continuum Infographic.

Through her success spearheading Everett’s Faith Family Village, Roxana is living proof that passion and perseverance can create lasting, positive change for the community. 

Most people would assume bringing a shelter village to life couldn’t be accomplished by a single person. Completing an undertaking of this scale is typically the culmination of a team of stakeholders overcoming various obstacles: identifying funding sources; finding an appropriate site; setting up necessary infrastructure like water and electricity; and rallying the community for support. Roxana Boroujerdi is unlike most people. 

Located on the grounds of Everett’s Faith Lutheran Church, Faith Family Village comprises eight Pallet sleeping shelters and two hygiene units that will serve local families experiencing homelessness. The village will also offer supportive services that aim to create paths to employment, education, and permanent housing—alongside facilities and activities that create a safe and fun environment for children living onsite. 

And even with her fair share of personal challenges, none of it would have come to fruition without Roxana. 

“I am 70, I have MS, and I was in a car accident and lost my knee,” she explains. “I have a lot of things that people might consider strikes against me. But with God, all things are possible.” 

The idea for Faith Family Village was born in the throes of the pandemic while Roxana was running the church food bank. When people were no longer able to safely come inside and choose what they needed off the shelf, Faith Lutheran was forced to explore alternative options. The USDA was beginning to form partnerships with organizations to donate food to those in need, and someone from the Everett chapter of Volunteers of America (VOA) pointed them in Roxana’s direction. 

“VOA told the USDA: ‘They should contact the crazy lady down at Faith Food Bank, she’d probably do it,’ she recalls. “So I told them to bring the big rig and we’ll work it out somehow. Little did I know that after a month, we had about 250 cars that came to pick up food—the line stretched [over half a mile] all the way to Value Village.” 

After receiving help from a team of volunteers to distribute to the crowds, Roxana was able to connect with people one-on-one and ask why they came to the food bank. The amount of people that told her they were homeless or couldn’t afford to pay for their rent or food, including families living out of their cars, didn’t sit right with her. So she started researching. 

Roxana discovered Pallet online and saw operational villages in nearby communities. She didn’t hesitate to contact the mayor of Burlington to see the Skagit First Step Center. 

Mayor Sexton offered Roxana a tour, breakfast in the village’s community room (“and they gave me lunch because I stayed too long”), and even extended an invitation to stay overnight and experience sleeping in a shelter.  

Learning about the structure and case management embedded in the village model prompted Roxana to take the idea of starting a new Pallet village at Faith Lutheran to fellow members of the congregation. While first met with opposition, she convinced the church council by taking them to a neighboring site in Edmonds and learning about the realities of hosting a shelter village community. The following council vote granted Roxana approval for building the village. 

Then came the roadblocks.  

Even with no experience navigating complex issues like land use laws and city zoning codes, Roxana tirelessly pushed through every obstacle in her path. First, she played an instrumental role in changing Everett city code to allow children to stay in Pallet shelters. Then she had to coordinate a series of tests to build on the church property—a survey for Indigenous artifacts, studies for noise and water runoff, and a slew of others. She had to obtain funding, which she procured through sources like Washington state senator project grants, sizeable donations from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), human needs grants from the city of Everett, and donations from various community and congregation members. Local businesses like Rodland Toyota, who were already active supporters of the Faith Food Bank, also stepped up to donate supplies and interior furnishings for the shelters. 

At first, Roxana was worried about pursuing funding streams. But she soon realized it was just another duty she could carry out herself to bring the village closer to groundbreaking. 

“It’s a lot,” she says. “When I started, it was a lot of weight. But now that I feel like I have a community of donors that are also invested, that helps a whole lot. And now I’m not so shy in asking people: ‘Can you give me this or that?’” 

One of the most significant obstacles Roxana encountered was raising community support. Many neighbors of Faith Lutheran expressed strong feelings against building a village on the church grounds, citing concerns of attracting criminal activity or encouraging an unsanctioned encampment nearby. One homeowner with property bordering the church attended a community meeting, adamant that the site would never be welcomed. Roxana wasn’t fazed. 

“I gave my talk about how many kids are homeless,” she recounts. “And what happens to those kids’ futures, like not graduating or joining a gang or becoming the next generation of homeless people.” 

The very next day, the neighbor called Roxana and offered $2,000 toward the village. Through his involvement in the village’s progress, he later donated all the materials for an upgraded perimeter fence surrounding the playground. 

“I think God touched his heart and said, ‘No, it’s not right that these kids have to sleep outside,’” she says. 

Faith Family Village will be assisted in operational duties by Interfaith Family Shelter, another site serving families experiencing homelessness in Snohomish County. Roxana says the village will offer services focusing on development for both parents and children: obtaining proper identification; enrollment in financial and rental certification programs; applications for housing vouchers; opportunities to volunteer at the food bank as a reference for future employment; after school tutoring; meals and chore sharing; and even family fun nights to foster a sense of community. They’ll also have interactive learning opportunities like cultivating a fruit and vegetable garden with the direction of local Master Gardeners.  

In the face of so many challenges, Roxana’s sunny outlook and passion eclipses any notion of giving up in the face of adversity. And she has a message for anyone else who wants to provide a glimpse of hope for their unsheltered neighbors, even if it seems unattainable: 

“I would say you should go for your dreams and help all the people that you can,” she says. “Because doing all that brings more joy to you than you can ever imagine. You can do it. You should try. And the thing I’m looking forward to now is spreading family villages everywhere.” 

Living in the Rapid Shelter Columbia village, Jeffrey says he finds peace in the village’s safety, and the work program he’s involved in has made him more independent to embark on a new journey. 

Before moving into Columbia’s shelter village, Jeffrey Hoover spent much of the past two years trying to find a safe place to rest, moving between a temporary congregate shelter and sleeping outside.  

During a period staying behind the library, he learned from another unhoused neighbor about the village being built nearby. He connected with a social worker in the library and made it a priority to move in as soon as he could. 

“I went the very next day, because he told me on a Sunday,” he says. “Monday morning, I was there, sharp.” 

He says sleeping outside had a feeling of freedom, where he could see the stars and breathe the air. But he constantly felt worried about his safety—either being harmed by the elements or arrested for simply living his life in public. Staying in the village has made him feel more secure. 

“I really love being here,” he says. “Because number one, it’s safe. Number two, when I was outside sleeping, I was always worrying about, ‘I gotta use the bathroom, where can I go?’” 

With the help of his case worker, Jeffrey was hired to help run the village itself with custodial and watch duties. He feels like it’s helping him find structure and represents a link to finding permanent housing. 

“It has made me sharper,” he says. “It has made me more dependable, independent. And because of the kind of person that I am, I know that this job one day will fade out because I'm looking for something even better and bigger. And I’ll find a place one day soon that I can call home.” 

In the wake of natural disaster, an inclusive range of shelter and housing models is critical to meet the immediate needs of every displaced individual.

Following destructive events like hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires, large populations are suddenly displaced from their homes and forced to find refuge wherever it is available. People are often directed to arenas, schools, community centers, or other public buildings to find a safe place to stay—at least for the night.

What comes after this stage is filled with uncertainty. To fully understand the landscape of shelter and housing options in the wake of natural disaster, it’s important to consider that each community has diverse needs. Examining the scope of housing models and offering equitable aid to displaced populations lays the groundwork for sustainable recovery.

Read on to learn the language and timeline of the Post-Disaster Housing Continuum.

1. Post-Disaster Housing Continuum

The stages of shelter and housing presented on a timeline starting immediately following a destructive event. From emergency shelter models to the prospect of rebuilding permanent housing, the path of the continuum follows a displaced person’s housing journey after an emergency.

Each stage offers specific benefits and are either based on existing infrastructure or constructed for the specific purpose of sheltering disaster survivors.

2. Emergency Preparedness

Before a disaster occurs, communities can build resilience through comprehensive preparedness planning. This includes drafting plans for staffing emergency response teams, arranging amenities such as food provision and hygiene facilities, and stockpiling rapidly deployable emergency shelter options that can be used to accommodate both responders and displaced communities.

This stage is fundamental to create true resilience, equipping cities to recover more quickly and effectively in the wake of disaster.

3. Emergency Congregate Shelter

Perhaps the most familiar of post-disaster shelter models, this stage is occupied in the days (or even hours) following an event or evacuation order. Stadiums, gymnasiums, and other large public buildings are used to rapidly shelter large groups of displaced people under one roof.

While effective at providing a space for large populations, this stage tends to present high barriers even when outside conditions are unsafe. People with pets and those with specific prior offenses are not permitted to stay in congregate settings, and people with trauma from violence and sexual assault do not feel secure in large, open settings with others.

4. Interim (Recovery) Shelter

Individual interim shelters can be deployed and assembled rapidly, and communities can be tailored to the needs of specific groups (people with disabilities or medical needs, first responders, relief workers, etc.). This model is best suited for the weeks and months following a natural disaster when permanent housing is rebuilt.

Although a crucial part of the continuum due to its versatility and ability to centralize supportive services, this stage is often overlooked and underutilized in post-disaster scenarios.

5. Temporary Housing

Forms of this stage of the continuum can range from hotels to RVs and are intended to serve displaced populations in varied timelines: depending on the extent of the rebuild period and the economic status of the person affected, temporary housing could be occupied in the weeks or even months following a disaster.

While more viable than congregate shelter for most people, this model has the potential to turn into long-term housing that isn’t dignified. When existing infrastructure like hotels are converted to temporary housing, these spaces are costly and cannot be used for visitors or tourists, which can adversely affect the recovery of local economies.

6. Long-Term Recovery Shelter

This model leverages temporary, rapidly implementable structures built on private property to serve displaced individuals, families, or workforces rebuilding permanent housing.

Allowing people to stay on their own properties while rebuilding their homes is often the most ideal solution to keep residents within their communities and looking toward the future. Units that can be quickly built and later disassembled as needed is an effective way to foster a path to long-term recovery.

7. Permanent Housing

Providing attainable, stable permanent housing for every person is of course the ultimate goal following destructive events. However, this stage cannot be reached immediately, and even when permanent housing is rebuilt, opportunities are often stratified based on socioeconomic standing. There is no linear path for every individual to reach long-term stability.

The need for urgent and dignified shelter and housing models following natural disasters highlights the necessity of every stage of the continuum preceding permanent housing. A range of equitable options is crucial for long-term recovery—and resilient communities can only be built when these basic needs are met for every person.

To learn more about how to serve the diverse needs of disaster survivors, download our Post-Disaster Housing Continuum Infographic.

Michael’s time in Columbia’s Pallet village has given him the chance to focus on himself, his goals of becoming a business owner, and starting his new journey. 

Michael served in the Army for 18 years and returned home to Columbia when a house fire claimed the lives of his mother, father, aunt, uncle, and two children. After this devastating loss, he had nowhere to call home. Insurance didn’t cover the tragedy he had sustained. 

He temporarily bounced between different local homeless shelters, struggling with depression and turning to alcohol and substances. It was at one of the shelters where a fellow guest told him about the Pallet village being built nearby. 

Michael says moving into the village has given him stability to rebuild his life. 

“I’m finding myself,” he says. “I made some slips and falls, but I’m eager to get right back up. I'm mainly right now focused on how I can get back to where I need to be in life. Not where I was, but where I need to be.” 

Working with his case manager, Michael is making steps to securing documents that were lost like an ID, birth certificate, and social security card to get approved for permanent housing. When he moves out of the village, he hopes to own and operate an auto shop—he already has experience in the field and an automotive service excellence (ASE) certificate. 

After experiencing trauma, Michael still needs time to recover and stabilize. But he says living in the Pallet village and having his own shelter has given him peace of mind: he’s attending counseling for his depression and starting to see the potential for positive change ahead. 

“You know, like I was telling a lot of people, life is like a noun,” he says. “You have to change people, faces, and things in order to get a better outlook on your life. And for my aspect of looking out, I want to see a brighter future for myself.” 

He has hope that a new life is waiting for him once he transitions out of the village. 

“In five years, I want to own my own home and have my own business,” Michael says. “With a new family. I see that promise.” 

Learn more about the Rapid Shelter Columbia village by reading our case study. 

Understanding the link between equitable housing and public safety plays a key role in building safer, healthier, and more successful communities.

Housing is at the crux of many systems that compose a functional society, from healthcare to infrastructure. But even with decades of research proving the innate connection between stable, equitable housing options and public safety, conversations on the subject often overlook this significant relationship. On the contrary, many people believe the myth that some models of shelter and housing actually increase crime in surrounding areas.

Evidence shows these claims are false. When an inclusive range of shelter and housing options are offered to every community member, an abundance of positive effects can be observed: crimes committed by unsheltered populations out of desperation are significantly decreased; the cycle of incarceration and homelessness can be broken; and public costs are drastically reduced.

Recognizing the inherent link between housing and public safety and investing in a range of options that fit everyone’s needs has the power to make our communities safer, stronger, and more sustainable.

The Housing Inequity-Crime Connection

It is widely understood that crime does not exist in a vacuum: a number of environmental, social, and economic factors all contribute to the root causes of why people commit crimes. The fact that crime is more prevalent in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and areas with higher rates of unsheltered homelessness illustrates how a lack of access to stable housing is at the core of the issue.

Higher crime rates have been associated with neighborhoods that experience poverty, residential segregation, and a lack of essential resources like good jobs, schools, and healthcare facilities. These disparities can be linked back to practices like redlining, which represent historical institutional oppression and racism that siloed equitable housing and services to more advantaged areas. When people living in these areas are denied access to attainable housing and resources, they are incentivized to commit crimes as a means of survival.

Poor land use practices, foreclosures, and vacancies also affect crime in these neighborhoods. One study found that in Pittsburgh, crime increased 19% within 250 feet of a foreclosed home once it became vacant, and continued to rise as it sat unoccupied. Examples like this could be avoided in the future by using similar lots for development of supportive housing or subsidized market rate housing.

It’s also crucial to consider that in cases of violent crimes, vulnerable populations are much more likely to be victims than suspects. Homeless people are targeted in hate crimes at double the rate of crimes based on religion, race, or disabilities. Unsheltered women specifically disproportionately experience violent assault like rape, causing lasting trauma and suffering that creates a new set of challenges in living in communal settings like congregate shelter.

Therefore, when people have stable places to live, they are less likely to commit or fall victim to crime, creating safer communities in the process.

Breaking the Cycle of Incarceration

The reality of laws criminalizing homelessness—or attaching serious charges to minor, nonviolent offenses like loitering, panhandling, and littering—is further proof that people are expected to have secure housing and not live their life in public. This is a serious challenge, considering a nationwide shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental units.

Statistics on the disparity of homeless individuals being arrested for low-level offenses is alarming. Although homeless communities represent less than 2% of the population in cities like Portland, Sacramento, and Los Angeles, they accounted for 50%, 42%, and 24% of total arrests from 2017-2020, respectively.

And once a person enters the prison system, regardless of their offense, it makes them significantly more vulnerable to living unsheltered: formerly incarcerated people are 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public. This is especially concerning when one considers the fact that one in every three Americans has a criminal record.

Upon release from the system, formerly incarcerated people face numerous challenges in securing appropriate housing. The inability to make rent, stigmatization from landlords, and barring those with drug offenses from public housing are just a few common obstacles. By lowering these barriers, along with focusing on new inclusive housing and subsidized market rate developments, the prison-homelessness cycle can be effectively broken and improve public safety in the process.

Investing in Housing as Public Safety

The overall costs of policing, corrections, courts, and other reactive measures associated with public safety far outweigh national investment in housing and community development.

While the nearly $260 billion annual budget of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows a concerted effort to fund more affordable housing and assistance programs, it pales in comparison to the price of operating the criminal legal system. When accounting for indirect economic effects of crime (property destruction and vandalism, utilization of healthcare and emergency services, forgone wages, etc.), the broader societal cost of the criminal legal system is estimated to equal $1.2 trillion.

Creating Safer, More Resilient Communities

There is undeniable proof that providing equitable, attainable housing is a guaranteed pathway to improving public safety. By incorporating this understanding into the development of new shelter and housing programs and acknowledging that the two concepts are inextricable from each other, we can make progress to end unsheltered homelessness and build safer, more successful communities as a result.

To learn more about the impacts of housing on public safety outcomes, download our Housing as Public Safety White Paper.

Even while cities face challenges in opening new shelter villages, there are various methods to overcome them and aid vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness. 

Many cities that aim to address their unsheltered homelessness crises see the benefits of interim shelter villages but face barriers in opening new sites. After encountering a wide variety of obstacles in our work with cities across the country, we can share our successes navigating these difficulties as a blueprint for any municipality aiming to provide equitable shelter for their vulnerable communities. 

Whether it’s community opposition, trouble accessing funding, finding proper potential sites, or issues concerning infrastructure and zoning ordinances, our Community Development team is well-versed in finding tailored solutions for each city’s unique challenges.  

We have found successful techniques to overcome many different barriers, but the following three arise the most frequently. Read on to learn how a diverse set of cities have succeeded in opening their own Pallet village despite adverse conditions. 

Barrier 1: Accessing and Obtaining Funding 

One of the first concerns that arises when considering building a Pallet shelter village is a simple question: how will we fund it? 

Navigating funding options presents its own set of challenges, but we have seen villages built across the country utilizing a spectrum of different sources, from federal assistance programs to private donations. Some examples include: 

1. Federal Level Funding Sources 

• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) 
• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) 
• Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) 

2. Local Municipality and State Government Funding 

• State Funding 
• County Auditor Funds 
• City Funds 

3. Grants and Contributions from Private Sources 

• Regional Housing Trusts 
• Donations from private foundations, philanthropic organizations, corporations, and local donors 
• Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Grant (HHAP) 

While all of these are viable funding sources, we have also seen cities successfully combine funding from each level, and in the process, aid their unsheltered populations with appropriate urgency. 

Barrier 2: Zoning and Land Use Challenges 

Finding suitable and affordable land to build an interim shelter village can be a daunting task without assistance. But by working with local government boards, involving the community, and approaching land use challenges creatively, we have helped bring many Pallet shelter villages to life. 

The following illustrate a few examples of how cities have overcome this specific barrier: 

1. Working with Legislature 

One city sidestepped legal barriers by passing a city council vote to exempt a proposed site from specific building and zoning codes—while ensuring safety by working with the fire marshal during site development. 

2. Collaboration and Community Education 

We witnessed a success story that involved creating an open forum composed of shelter organizations, community groups, landowners, and neighbors. By holding an open dialogue between all stakeholders in public meetings and coming to a solution that worked for everyone, the city was able to integrate a Pallet village into an existing residential neighborhood. 

3. Identifying Emergency Laws 

Being aware of emergency land use laws has helped shelter communities develop over a significantly quicker timeline: by classifying unsheltered homelessness as the crisis that it is, we have seen cities provide essential shelter and supportive services with urgency. 

4. Creative Land Use 

Creatively recategorizing property types has been another avenue of overcoming this particular barrier. One city even implemented a creative land classification to bring shelter and warmth to their unsheltered community right before the harsh cold of winter arrived. 

While these solutions to these problems may not be self-evident, our Community Development team is adept and experienced in surmounting land use and zoning hurdles. 

Barrier 3: Gaining Community Support 

Community opposition often stands in the way of successfully building new shelter villages. We have found that by establishing an open line of communication between local governments and the public and providing education about the benefits of interim shelter, staunch opposition can often be transformed into outspoken support. 

Some methods that have produced positive outcomes by engaging the community include: 

1. Alleviate concerns through education and disproving myths. 

Common concerns surrounding new shelter villages are often based on the fear that these developments will increase crime and decrease neighboring property values. Providing facts to prove the opposite is true—such as data showing crime rates decreasing in areas surrounding new sites—can often spur a collective change of opinion. 

2. Host a village open house. 

Demonstrating the inherent dignity and safety of Pallet villages has proven to be a boon to gaining community support: we have seen multiple cities host open houses where city leaders and heads of local organizations will stay in a shelter overnight to exhibit its potential in helping vulnerable people reintegrate and transition to permanent housing. 

3. Include the community in the decision-making process. 

Ideas like creating a website to keep the public updated on crucial information and resources regarding a potential village or hosting community meetings that allow neighbors to voice their opinion has helped support efforts to develop new sites in various locations. 

Interim shelter plays a crucial role in providing people with a stepping stone toward permanent housing, and examples like Pallet villages with onsite supportive services meet diverse needs of different displaced populations. And even while the model is proven to be an important part of resilient communities, city leaders are often impeded in the process. 

Learn more about how Pallet’s Community Development team can help you maneuver barriers regarding funding, zoning and land use, and community opposition by reading our case studies. 

Thorough and rigorous testing means our shelters can perform in varying extreme weather conditions—whether it’s rain, snow, wind or heat, we know that residents of Pallet villages across the country are safe.

With thousands of Pallet shelters across the country, we’re constantly gathering feedback on their design from customers. This information is crucial for our in-house engineering team. It allows them to understand what our shelters must withstand in the real world.  

With that knowledge, they can design Pallet shelters to meet various demands, and rigorously test them onsite.  

And yet, we don’t stop there. We also third-party certify our shelters to truly validate their designs.  

All this is critical because our shelters often go into storm-prone and extreme weather zones. They must reliably protect the residents who live in them, all while remaining cost-effective. 

Our new S2 shelters illustrate our deep commitment to R&D. Building on our legacy of intentional, quality engineering, they advance our mission to offer safe, dignified housing for displaced and vulnerable populations.  

Pallet S2: The next evolution 

The S2 line is the next chapter in Pallet shelters, shaped and guided by those with lived experience. Designed to be stronger, easier to assemble, and even more comfortable, our S2 products reflect feedback from residents of Pallet villages, service providers who operate the villages, and our own lived experience workforce. 

This crucial input—gathered from all across the country—helped our engineers redesign interior features and simplify the structure, which in turn reduced costs.  

Yet, their biggest focus was fortifying the S2s against intense weather. In doing so, they made the S2 shelter a reliable and universal solution for safe and comfortable living—virtually anywhere.  

Engineered for the Real World 

Whether it’s tornado-force winds, intense snow storms or severe heat, Pallet shelters must be engineered to handle it all. Pallet villages exist in places that experience severe weather events and our shelters must provide protection in these challenging environments.  

“In south Florida, you have 140 mile-an-hour winds. In Maine, we have to withstand 40 lb. of snow per square foot,” says Pallet Engineer Trevor Russell. “We have villages in the deserts of California and the mountain towns of Denver.”  

Water is a tough culprit for any structure. To shield against it, the engineers designed the S2 wall panels without rivets, and improved the subframe’s flashing and tension rods, eliminating even the smallest gaps where water might find its way in.  

To maintain the S2’s ability to bear maximum snow loads while simplifying the design of its roof, our engineers updated from a two-piece design to a mono-pitch roof. 

The new roof and subframe work together to create a unique tensioning and compression system. This increases the wind speeds the shelters can endure. The patent-pending design allows them to transfer sheer force through their sidewalls, providing incredible strength so they hold up in tornado-like wind.  

“Our goal was to create shelters that work in the entirety of the U.S. and Canada,” Trevor says. Pallet shelters meet structural codes in nearly every state. 

Rigorously tested onsite 

Once Trevor and his team had created a prototype of the  S2, they devised onsite tests to challenge it.   

To test its waterproofness, they blasted it with a giant hose—inflicting an intense amount of direct water pressure all across the unit.  

To simulate snow loading, they heaved sandbags onto its roof and measured the deflection of the panel.  

And when it came to testing whether the shelter held together in the fiercest of winds, the team attached a winch and pulley system to the wall and plates to the shelter and pulled till they reached nearly 6000 lbs–nearly taking out a Pallet warehouse shop wall in the process  

“The idea was to put sheer force along the walls and then see what fails,” Trevor says. “We started getting worried that the wall of the shop was going to fail.”  

The S2 held up, withstanding the force of 155 mile-per-hour winds.  

Third-party certified 

Through this testing phase, the Pallet engineering team partners with a third-party structural engineering firm. These outside engineers are onsite to validate the tests and witness first-hand how the structures perform. 

“We work with the firm to make sure our test design meets all the specs. Then, they review our testing data and make sure we pass whatever specifications we need to,” Trevor says.  

Once a shelter design passes all tests, the engineering firm awards it a PE stamp of approval, which is an officially recognized certification of performance.   

Inspired designs 

Trevor was the mastermind behind the S2’s new wall panel designs and many other key features that make it our most weatherproof, comfortable yet rapidly deployable shelter to date.  

“The best part is when we get to jump into new R&D projects and start throwing ideas out in that early phase,” he says. “We’re doing things that haven’t been done. So it’s a big, exciting challenge.” 

The S2 line remediates feedback we heard from residents, service providers, city officials, and folks on the Pallet team who have experienced homelessness themselves. 

“Working with our fair chance employees, it’s fun to learn from them,” Trevor says. “They’ve taught me new life perspectives. We’re all not all given the same opportunities in life and it’s important to give people chances.” 

With his dedication and the rest of our passionate in-house engineering and manufacturing teams, plus the invaluable perspectives of Pallet users, we’ll continue delivering safe, comfortable shelter that give people a fair chance.

Learn more about the safety features and capabilities of our new S2 shelter line.  

After living for years unsheltered in a local park, Dawn is taking steps toward more permanent housing with the support of the City Net team at Chula Vista’s Pallet village. 

For several years, Dawn and her partner had to be resourceful for basic necessities like bathing and keeping personal possessions safe. They lived in a tent in a local park, using a hose hooked up to the sink of a public restroom to take showers. 

Even while working, she fought to keep her belongings secure. 

“I’ve actually had people steal my personal property from my job,” she says. “There are people out there you think you can trust, and then there are people that you would no way want to trust.” 

Dawn describes her partner Miguel as being her safety net for a long time. They moved from Kansas out to California, where she grew up, and stuck together for many years. 

“I just went wherever he went,” Dawn recalls. “I felt safe and comfortable with him. And I do have a love for him, but the love in the beginning was a lot stronger.” 

Dawn explains that Miguel lives with bipolar disorder and ADHD, and his struggles managing these conditions put a strain on their relationship. After being offered shelters in Chula Vista’s new Pallet site by workers from San Diego’s Alpha Project Outreach Team, their bond began to falter, and Miguel moved out of the village.  

Now Dawn is looking to the future, working with her onsite case manager to overcome barriers to secure permanent housing. She faces a number of challenges that were too much to tackle alone while working and keeping herself safe: medical debts from over a decade ago that have gone to collections; not having an option to obtain private health insurance through her job but earning just too much to qualify for Medicaid; replacing her lost social security card; and rebuilding her credit score to qualify for an affordable rental. 

“A lot of the rental properties want a score of 650 or above, and my credit’s not that great,” she says. “The accounts that are out there causing my score to be so low are 12-year-old hospital bills. And then they say, ‘If you don’t have this, we can’t qualify you.’ It’s just aggravating.” 

The team at City Net have already helped Dawn to check some of these items off her list. They provided transportation to the social security office to replace her lost card, are working to pay off old bills to improve her credit, and have obtained a housing voucher that would allow her to find her own place. 

“I’ve been going online and everything looking for a place as well,” she says. “And the other day, we went out driving around trying to see if we could find places.” 

Surmounting challenges like these is made extremely difficult without a safe and comfortable place to stay. Dawn is one of the first residents at the Chula Vista Bridge Shelter, and after just a few months of being offered an ecosystem of support, she’s already heading in the right direction. 

To find out how the city of Chula Vista came together to build the Bridge Shelter and aid their unhoused neighbors, download our case study. 

After building a life for himself, Dave lost everything to addiction. Now, he wants to remind anyone struggling that there’s always hope to break the cycle – and he’s grateful for every day. 

Early on, Dave had already made his own way in life. He started his manufacturing career with Boeing at age 20, got married, had three children, and bought a home for his family. After achieving all this and growing up in a large family in Everett with good relationships with his parents and siblings, it might come as a surprise to hear what was going through his mind at the hospital on May 12^th, 2019. 

“I was 100% resigned I was gonna die in my addiction,” he recalls. “But then that moment of clarity, that spiritual awakening, that epiphany, whatever you want to call it, hit me in there. I’m like, ‘this is not gonna be my legacy that I died with a f***ing needle in my arm sitting in the hospital. I’m gonna fight this,’ you know? And I did. And I appreciate every single day.” 

After 20 years manufacturing commercial jet body structures, providing for his family, and caring for his wife who lived with lupus, Dave had surgery when he suffered a broken ankle and torn ligaments in 2004. He was prescribed Percocet and oxycontin for the pain. 

It didn’t take long for a serious dependency to take hold. “I am ‘that guy’ that took too many pain pills,” Dave says. “I was eating them like crazy and I got the opiate bug. I battled that pill addiction for quite a while.” 

Five years later he entered a detox program for the first time. Once off his suboxone treatment, Dave quickly began using oxycontin again by 2010. Shortly following this his struggle with addiction was compounded by personal tragedy, and the life he knew began to unravel. 

Dave’s brother Michael passed away suddenly that year. Two months later, his best friend of 28 years committed suicide. His opiate use increased, and his marriage was under considerable strain. 

“I went off the rails,” he says. “I slipped into drug addiction so bad. Things just started to absolutely fall apart.” 

Dave remembers the day he was fired from Boeing – July 10^th, 2011. He was already having trouble keeping up with his mortgage payments before losing his job and was separated from his wife. He lost the house shortly thereafter. After moving into a condo in nearby Lake Stevens for a short stint, he was evicted due to spending his rent money on heroin and meth. 

“It’s crazy how much time goes by and how quickly things decline,” Dave says. “And I mean, I’m talking super quick: by the fall of 2013, I was homeless.” 

Sustaining his heroin and meth use became Dave’s only responsibility. His first felony charge came in 2014, which led to a number of others. Running from DOC warrants, shirking court-ordered treatment programs, and multiple prison sentences are all part of Dave’s prolonged involvement in the criminal legal system. Experiencing these periods of forced sobriety and the desire to quit weren’t enough to put an end to his addiction.  

He tells a story of being in custody and thinking he had broken through mentally: “I think about it now, how powerful drug addiction really is. I mean, in 90 days, I was president of my group, I was so involved in everything there. I thought, ‘Man, I got this.’ I was using drugs a week and a half after I left there. That quick. It’s just brutal.” 

During this time, Dave had resigned to a life on the streets. He never leaned on his family, too ashamed to ask for help. He had convinced himself that this was what he deserved. 

“[I thought] This is where I belong,” he says. “I belong out here suffering. I hated myself so much for the person I had become, leaving my kids, my family.” 

The turning point came when Dave became extremely sick with symptoms stemming from his substance use. He was in so much back pain he could barely walk. His girlfriend at the time insisted that he admit himself to the ER, threatening to involve his dad if he refused. 

Screaming out in pain going through an MRI, Dave was told he was experiencing sepsis from MRSA (a type of staph bacteria that has become immune to antibiotics) and two internal abscesses on his spinal cord. Dave spent six and a half weeks in the hospital detoxing and recovering. 

The day he admitted himself to the hospital was the last day Dave used drugs. From that point on, he’s spent all his time rebuilding his life: serving time for the remainder of his felony offenses; re-entering the workforce; reconnecting with his family, namely his daughter and son; and focusing on his recovery program. 

Dave started working at Pallet in January 2022, and describes it as a perfect environment being around coworkers who are on a similar path.  

“I love this place, the whole culture here is just amazing,” he says. “It’s been awesome for my recovery. It’s just a great place to work, and everybody here is so supportive.” 

Dave shares his story openly and earnestly, with what many would consider brutal honesty. Everyone at Pallet knows him for these qualities. His work ethic and attitude led him to a position as Pallet’s customer service representative after working on the manufacturing floor, giving him the responsibilities of coordinating with village service providers, fielding inquiries from people experiencing homelessness, and gracing the office with the sound of his booming laugh. 

“To be standing here today, I’ve got a story to share, and I’m just trying to help people,” he says. “It’s like I’ve said before: I went through a lot of s***, but I really honestly believe that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” 

Pallet is the leader in rapid response shelter villages. There are nearly 100 active villages across the country where unhoused people can access dignified shelter with a locking door and on-site social services. With their basic needs taken care of, residents can focus on taking the next step. 
 
Today Pallet is addressing unsheltered homelessness at scale and building a nontraditional workforce. Among the more than 100 employees, three people have been a part of this innovative endeavor since the beginning — Brandon, Cole, and Josh. They were early adopters of our mission and continue to play an integral role as we grow. All three have backgrounds in construction, so Pallet was a natural fit. 
 
Here's a look at Pallet’s growth from their perspective. 

Pallet is born May 2016 
Pallet began with the idea of sheltering displaced populations, and it took some time to design the physical structure. Our engineering team created several prototypes before finding suitable materials and shelter sizes. Brandon recalls those early days.  
 
"Lots of waves and roadblocks. They did a lot of research to figure out a lot of different things — fire rating to snow loads, wind ratings, square feet," Brandon explained. "I remember so many hurdles to get over because this was not a normal product. This was not a piece of wood." 
 
Building the shelters was lengthy and tedious because the team cut each of the seven panels with a skill saw. By summer 2020, Pallet added a CNC router to the factory, which improved accuracy and efficiency. What initially took months to build can now be done in a fraction of the time. The manufacturing team produces 50 shelters a week. 
 
"The evolution of this product is crazy," Cole shared. "You never would have thought it was going to have an air conditioner, a breaker box, and a heater and all these amenities that most of our houses have nowadays." 

In the beginning, we held numerous demonstrations to showcase our shelters. It's where Brandon realized this was what he wanted to be doing — building dignified space for our vulnerable neighbors. At this point, he'd built a strong relationship with Pallet's co-founders, Amy and Brady King. Brandon believed in them and what they set out to accomplish. He ignored those who didn't think our transitional shelters would work.
 
"I knew it was a good idea. I just wholeheartedly knew it. And I didn't really have a reason why," Brandon shared. "I just knew that it felt good to do this, especially once we started doing deployments, then it really kicked in." 
 
While Pallet worked to find its footing, only a handful of people were working for the company. Over time the number steadily increased, and today there are more than 100 employees. Josh was one of two in the factory building shelters when he started. Now he's surrounded by dozens of others and working on research and development. During company-wide meetings, he marvels at the number of people present.  
 
"Every time we have an all-hands meeting, I get choked up every single time. I'm just blown away with how many people we have here," Josh shared. "The ways that we've grown and moved forward. It's just unbelievable." 
 
Personal growth 
As Pallet evolved, so did the team. Josh talks fondly of the relationship he built with Zane, recently retired Director of Engineering, and Greg, now Director of Operations. Josh said the two helped mold him.  
 
"We all came from a construction background, and it was yell, scream, and get your point across. Zane taught us how we didn't have to do that. We could actually talk civil and come up with ideas together," Josh shared. "That's what I strive for in the R&D section. If I have an idea, I'm going to ask four people before I actually do it because what if I'm thinking wrong?" 
 
For Cole, joining Pallet was an opportunity to move away from the grueling work of building permanent homes. He'd been working in construction since he was a teenager and thought he would be stuck in that role until he couldn't walk anymore. He's moved from Manufacturing Specialist to Supervisor to Manufacturing Engineer. Cole's time at Pallet coincides with his recovery journey.  
 
"I focus really hard on a daily basis on growing as a person to better my people skills and my career," Cole added. "Being teachable and being humble and learning something new every day." 
 
In addition to personal development, all three say being able to help those in need is a bonus for working at Pallet. They've each been able to talk with Pallet shelter village residents who are stabilizing and working on moving into their own place. 
 
"It's not just about helping people. It's about changing people," Brandon shared. "When you can be there on-site and watch them move in and see how happy they are. That was probably the greatest reward I've ever had when I came to this company." 

 
Pallet’s origin story

Investment in human potential is a core component of our mission. People who live in Pallet shelter villages are a part of a community where they have access to a resource net of social services, which enables them to transition to permanent housing. We've created a purpose-driven environment where employees are supported and learning is encouraged. 

As part of our commitment to creating sustainable jobs, we're proud to announce Living Wage for US (For US) certified Pallet as a Living Wage Employer. The nonprofit organization granted the status after analyzing Pallet's cash wages and benefits paid to employees. They specifically examined the lowest potential cash wages guaranteed to workers. Third-party validation is another step for us to show business can be a force for good. 

A living wage is the minimum income necessary to afford a sufficient standard of living. When someone earns a living wage, they can cover basic necessities such as food, housing, and child services. Meeting this standard is one step toward reducing housing and food insecurity. According to For US, more than half of American workers don't earn enough to support themselves and their families at a basic level of decency from a human rights lens. 

According to For US, these are the some of the benefits of paying a living wage:

• A household can afford heat without sacrifice
• Food insecurity decreases
• Fewer workers receive public assistance
• Workers can save for unexpected events

Methodology

When calculating whether a company can be certified as a living wage employer, For US analyzes the following county-based cost categories: 

• Geography
• Family size
• Workers per family
• Food costs
• Housing costs
• Childcare costs
• Transportation costs
• Healthcare costs
• Miscellaneous (ratio of other expenses to food and housing)
• Resiliency (buffer for unexpected circumstances)
• Payroll taxes

The base wage at Pallet is $20.39. With benefits, the pay is calculated as $21.28. Washington state's minimum wage is $14.49. The living wage for Snohomish County is $21.02. We must submit pay and benefits information yearly and maintain compensation levels to keep the certification. Pallet employees receive annual reviews, and there are opportunities to receive merit increases throughout the year.

Why paying a living wage matters at Pallet 

More than 80% of Pallet employees are formerly homeless, in recovery, or previously involved in the justice system. It's essential we pay everyone a livable wage and don't inflict further harm on a vulnerable group of people. Paying a livable wage positively impacts the employees and the greater community. In addition to a livable wage and benefits, Pallet employees also have access to life skills training and personal support services.

For US has also certified Olympia, Washington-based Olympia Coffee Roasting Co., Well-Paid Maids home cleaning company, and the Center for Progressive Reform.

Pallet achieves new status: Public Benefit Corporation

Pallet is on a mission to unlock possibilities by building shelter communities and employing a nontraditional workforce. Our villages for people experiencing homelessness provide the dignity and security of private units within a community. A resource net of on-site social services, as well as food, showers, laundry, and more, helps people transition to permanent housing.

Pallet began in 2016 as a Social Purpose Company (SPC), the Washington state equivalent of a B corporation. As of 2022, we’re proud to announce that we've transitioned to a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). It means we use profitability to expand our impact. As our business grows, the more jobs and shelter villages we can create to end unsheltered homelessness. The change is a reflection of our growth as a company. PBCs are widely recognized across the country. More than 30 state legislators passed PBC statutes to make it easier for private businesses to establish themselves as a PBC or transition to one.

Think of a PBC as a hybrid of a nonprofit and for-profit organization. Our investment partners have allowed us to scale up quickly to meet the needs of the homelessness crisis. Those resources also allowed us to buy materials, secure a factory, and hire a skilled and consistent workforce. Because of our partnerships, Pallet isn't dependent on community donations and grants like a nonprofit. At Pallet, the mission is the driving force, not a substantial return on profits. 

With this new status, we’ve joined other notable companies such as Kickstarter, a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity, ice cream maker Ben and Jerry's, and clothing brand Patagonia who have all made similar commitments to purpose over profit.

Receiving Certification as a Living Wage Employer

In addition to transitioning into a PBC, Pallet has also received third-party certification  as a Living Wage Employer. A living wage is the minimum income standard necessary to afford a sufficient standard of living. The designation from Living Wage for US recognizes our commitment to people. The organization analyzed Pallet's pay and benefits package. They use the Global Living Wage Coalition methodology, which considers several county-based cost categories before certifying a business. It includes geography, family size, workers per family, food, housing, childcare, transportation, healthcare, miscellaneous, resiliency, and payroll taxes. 

The base wage at Pallet is $20.39. With benefits, the pay is calculated as $21.28. Washington state's minimum wage is $14.49. The living wage for Snohomish County, the location of our corporate headquarters, is $21.02. We must submit pay and benefits information yearly and maintain compensation levels to keep the certification.

Pallet employees receive annual reviews, and there are opportunities to receive merit increases throughout the year. 

More than 80% of Pallet employees are formerly homeless, in recovery, or previously involved in the justice system. It's essential we pay everyone a livable wage and don't inflict further harm on a vulnerable group. People are our most important stakeholders. 

Pallet proves business can be a force for good. Our values and the meaning of our name — lifting others up so they can be their best selves — is the company's north star. 

How Jessie transformed his life and joined Pallet

Pallet manufactures rapidly deployable shelters for displaced populations. There are more than 70 Pallet shelter villages across the country for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Residents have a safe, private, and personal space with a locking door, plus meals, showers, and laundry. An on-site service provider also delivers an essential resource net of social services. This month marks six years since we started this journey to address a growing crisis. 

Initially, the idea was spurred by Hurricane Katrina. Pallet co-founder and CEO Amy King and co-founder Brady King watched the devastation from the storm in shock. After seeing images of thousands of people in the Superdome — a football stadium turned emergency shelter — they thought the hurricane victims needed better options. Later, Brady brought up the idea again with disaster in mind. This time with more details.  

"It was very specific. It needs to be lightweight, so you can airdrop it by military helicopter. It needs to be panelized, so it's easy to set up. It's got the foundation built-in, so you don't have to pour a foundation or excavate the site," Amy recalled. "I said, 'That's actually a really good idea. What you're talking about makes a lot of sense. We should build it.'"

Many of those initial elements are still present in the current design. 

At this point, Amy and Brady had moved back to Seattle and started Square Peg Construction. They often talked about how expensive it is to build housing, how long it takes, and the growing number of unhoused people. Amy wondered if Brady's shelter idea would be helpful. After all, homelessness is a disaster, albeit a personal one not caused by Mother Nature. 

They discussed the idea with employees of their construction company, many of whom had been homeless. The team thought it was a great idea, and identified its potential to help people who are living unsheltered. Their hard-earned insight helped us see the value in creating an alternative to the options unhoused people have to choose from. 

Next, the two reached out to Zane Geel, Pallet's recently retired Director of Engineering. Zane took some time to figure out how to make it a reality. Rather than wood, the shelter panels would be made up of alternative construction materials. Pallet was born with an initial investment of $40,000 of personal funds. Zane built the prototype in his backyard. After design adjustments and hiring staff, the first Pallet shelter was ready. The team took it to an emergency response trade show in Tacoma, Washington, a city about 60 miles south of our headquarters.

"We were a little nervous about entering the marketplace with our product in homelessness. We thought disaster would be a better entry point," Amy explained. 

They met Tacoma officials who were interested in the product because the city had just declared a homeless state of emergency. A few days later, they hosted an additional demonstration with city leaders. A week later, Tacoma placed an order for 40 Pallet shelters. They were ready to take an alternative approach to address unsheltered homelessness. 

After receiving the call, Amy delivered the news to the team, "I walked in, and I saw Zane, and I just immediately started bawling. And I was like, 'We got it! We got our first sale. We sold 40 shelters to Tacoma.' And then he started to cry. And then everyone else in the room started to cry. And I was like, 'Oh, my God, we're going to do this thing.' It was so exciting."

Since setting up the village in Tacoma, Pallet has grown exponentially. We started with a handful of employees and there’s now more than 100. We've also improved the manufacturing production process. In the beginning, we produced three shelters each week; now, it's 50. There are Pallet shelter villages in 11 states, from Oregon to Arkansas. We've also partnered with mission-aligned investors who helped us scale and grow to meet the needs of the crisis. As a social purpose company, we use profitability to expand our impact. Amy is filled with gratitude.

Pallet began with the intention to help some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and that continues today. Our villages are not only bringing people inside, they are helping people regain stability to take the next step. We're also building a nontraditional workforce. More than 80 percent of Pallet's team members have experienced homelessness, substance use disorder, and/or the criminal justice system. We believe people's potential — not the past — defines their future. As we look forward to the coming months and years, we hope to expand our model.

"I would really like to see us further expand our workforce development model to encourage more companies to do what we're doing in terms of job offerings, with support for staff," Amy shared. “I never thought it would grow this fast, ever. I never imagined that this would be the reality, but I'm thrilled."

What’s in a name? How we chose Pallet

When Sarah sets her sights on a goal, she'll inevitably be successful. Being resourceful and determined has served her well. Sarah joined Pallet as a Manufacturing Specialist at the beginning of the year. Joining the team was a full-circle moment. She vividly remembers seeing our shelters in downtown Portland a couple of years ago. In a short time, Sarah has made an impact. Working in the factory was a bit of an adjustment at first, particularly standing on her feet for long hours. Still, she got used to it and quickly excelled at the various steps of building Pallet shelters.

"They were bouncing me around to all the stations, and the supervisors kept saying, 'normally people need to stay at a station for a certain amount of time before we move on, but you're learning really quickly,'" she shared. "It helped give me that motivation and confidence."

Within a few months, Sarah was promoted to Customer Service Coordinator, a new position on the Community Development team. She's the point person for customer concerns and coordinates assistance for prompt resolution. Sarah first heard about the job opening at a company-wide meeting. Pallet's Human Resources Director encouraged her to apply. 

"I guess the fear of rejection played a major part of why I was hesitant," Sarah explained. She pushed through any doubts and decided the worst that could happen was she wouldn't get the job. But an upside would be others would know she's interested in a promotion. Since moving into the position, she's leveraged her connections already built with other teams to streamline the customer support process.

More than 80 percent of Pallet's team members have experienced homelessness, substance use disorder, and/or the criminal justice system. We believe people's potential — not the past — defines a person's future. Sarah and others have found stability through purposeful employment at Pallet.

Sarah earned a cosmetology license, certificates in early childhood education, and a degree in small business management entrepreneurship from a local college. She achieved these milestones after becoming a mother in her late teens.

"I worked also as a Montessori teacher, and I worked for Everett Public Schools, and I was a paraeducator. Then I taught middle school math," Sarah shared. She and her former partner also opened an afterschool education company where they served about 150 families. "We tutored low-income families through the no Child Left Behind Act. It was a neat experience, fun, and most of all rewarding. To know that I was part of a village in that child’s life will be everlasting on my heart.”

Sarah's warm smile and welcoming personality made it easy for her to connect with kids. She was doing well, but things took a turn after pain from an old injury came back. She went from taking medicine as prescribed to becoming addicted. She continued working and maintained a "normal" outward appearance. When she began using other substances, her life unraveled rapidly. She lived on the streets in her hometown of Everett, Washington, then later in Portland, Oregon. 

"The winters and the rain were definitely the hardest, of course, because you're so cold and you're so wet. And then to be able to find dry clothes from whatever garbage can or from wherever you can find them," Sarah explained. "I've had to escape from fires from inside the tent because we'd fall asleep, and the candle would get too hot through the glass because it would be burnt out. Then that would heat whatever to catch on fire." 

Sarah essentially disappeared for about two years while in Portland, but her mother tracked her down. When they reunited, Sarah reconnected with her family and three children. Shortly after returning to Washington, she entered treatment in January 2021. After treatment, she moved into a recovery house. She began an internship at Kindred Kitchen, a social enterprise creating stable futures by offering hands-on job training to formerly homeless and low-income individuals who need a fresh start. Sarah described the café as a supportive environment.

"I learned a lot. Even the most simple thing, like how to dice up an onion without the whole thing just falling apart everywhere," she shared. "It was a good transition from going crazy to not doing anything to then that to then this [Pallet]. It helped me really transition to the work mentality."

At the end of the internship, Sarah joined Pallet and now lives in her own place. A vital part of the culture at Pallet is embracing everyone no matter what path they've taken before arriving at the company. Sarah said she feels accepted and valued. It isn't necessary to hide her personal experiences. She’s thankful for the opportunity to rebuild her life and help others who are facing the same challenges she once did. Sarah is sharing her story to show that change is possible. She cautions others not to criticize our neighbors who are living unsheltered. 

"You don't know everybody's path or journey, and you don't know how they got there. So try not to judge them and try to be part of the solution rather than just be somebody who looks down on them," she added. "There is hope for people to change. And people will change with the willingness and the support from the community and from others. They can do it, so just have faith that it can happen."

Debunking Myths: Homeless people are lazy

As part of our commitment to provide dignified space for people experiencing homelessness, we are continually improving our shelters. Conducting tests is one way to ensure Pallet shelter village residents are comfortable inside their cabins and safe from the elements. Recently two members of Pallet's engineering team — Jordan, Design Engineer, and Jessie, CAD Designer — oversaw an independent assessment of our heaters and the 64 sq. ft. and 100 sq. ft. shelters. Specifically, we wanted an additional analysis of thermal efficiency in cold weather and the power consumption of the heaters.

After researching testing facilities, Jessie found SGS, a world leader in product testing, inspection, and certification. Their facility includes state-of-the-art testing cells, on-site engineering personnel, and technical support staff. In addition to specific testing capabilities, we also needed certain physical requirements.

"We were looking for a chamber that would be big enough to hold four to five fully assembled shelters," Jessie shared.

Testing took place over four days at the SGS facility in Colorado. The shelters were placed inside a chamber that could reach -10 degrees Fahrenheit. It only took about 15 - 20 minutes to make temperature adjustments which allowed us to test a wide range of climates. The equipment SGS used included thermocouples that measured the temperature inside the shelters. A Hioki machine analyzed the power usage of the heaters.

"If we get a sense of how much a 4500-watt heater consumes in an hour at a certain temperature and we know how often a location is within that temperature range, we could say this is how many kilowatt-hours you'll consume in this amount of time," Jordan explained. "If we know how much power it's using in an hour, we can turn that into a dollar amount based on the cost of electricity." 

These reliable test results enable us to paint a fuller picture of the electricity costs associated with a Pallet shelter village. We also evaluated the effectiveness of weather stripping and insulation of the sleeping cabins. Jessie and Jordan watched the data collection on monitors in real-time.

Overall, the testing was successful. The staff were meticulous in their approach and were helpful. 

"Their techs, the senior research engineer, working with us, were super helpful, super accommodating with everything, even giving us that extra day when our truck was delayed," Jessie said. 

Now that testing is complete, Pallet's engineering team is assessing the results to locate areas for design improvements and cost reductions.

"It will inform us quite a bit and give us an excellent baseline to investigate further design and improve our cold weather units," Jordan added. 

What happens in a Pallet shelter village 

There's no question that homelessness is a significant crisis. In 2020, the annual nationwide Point-in-Time count showed 580,466 people experiencing homelessness. With hundreds of thousands of people without a permanent address, it's easy to understand why homelessness is viewed as an insurmountable issue. The statistics, persistent myths about who homeless people are, and endless negative headlines about our unhoused neighbors don't build confidence that the problem is being addressed. But beyond the pessimistic cloud surrounding the emergency is hope. At Pallet, we believe a future where no one goes unsheltered is possible.

Pallet shelter villages
More than 60 Pallet shelter villages in 16 states serve as a transitional step from living unsheltered to permanent housing. Our shelters can be built in under an hour and provide the dignity of personal space in a healing community environment. They have a locking door, storage, electrical outlets to power personal devices, and more. Every Pallet shelter village is run by a service provider who provides a resource net of on-site services, which include: getting residents "document ready," housing navigation, job assistance, and mental health services. Residents also have access to meals, showers, laundry, and more. When residents move out of a village, another person can move in and begin rebuilding their life. Our model centers on the transformative power of community to bring people together for joy, healing, and growth.

Pallet is one solution of many. Below is a brief overview of other groups working towards the common goal of bringing people inside. 

A Neighborly Approach
In Seattle, Facing Homelessness takes a YIMBY (yes in my backyard) approach. The nonprofit organization established the BLOCK project, which provides permanent supportive housing. It's a tangible way for individuals to be a part of the solution. BLOCK homes are approximately 19'x13' with a patio, solar panels, living space, kitchenette, and bathroom. In a few days, the sustainable home is built in the backyard of a host homeowner then a person experiencing homelessness moves in. A compassionate network of resources and people invested in their success supports the resident and host. The organization is currently building its 13th BLOCK home.

Guaranteed Income
Transitional and permanent affordable housing isn't the only way to address homelessness and people at risk of becoming unhoused. Guaranteed income programs provide cash payments to individuals and families who don't exceed an earnings threshold. The unrestricted payments are unlike a traditional safety net program such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal food aid program. Last year a San Francisco nonprofit gave a small group of homeless people $500 a month for six months. According to an article detailing the program, two-thirds of the unhoused people when the pilot began are now in permanent housing. There were numerous other benefits, including participants helping family members.

This year LA County launched "Breathe," and Atlanta rolled out "In Her Hands," both provide no strings attached cash. A guaranteed income program in Gainesville, FL, is helping formerly incarcerated people maintain financial stability. People exiting the criminal justice system are at higher risk of homelessness partly due to employment barriers. According to the website Low Income Relief, there are currently 50+ guaranteed income programs across 23 states. 

Local Government 
Individual cities and counties have also worked towards ending homelessness. San Mateo County in California recently announced a pledge to end homelessness by the end of 2022. According to an LA Times article, the county uses federal and state funds to buy hotels and other buildings to convert into housing. County Manager Mike Callagy told the Times, "This is a lofty goal, don't get me wrong. This is very lofty. But we believe that we can get there…We want to be the first to end homelessness of any county in California."

This month Pierce County officials in Washington adopted a Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness. They're investing $250 million to achieve functional zero over the next two years. It's explained as a state where any person starting a new episode of homelessness has immediate access to shelter and a permanent housing intervention. The plan has six goals.

In addition to existing affordable and permanent supportive housing projects, the above examples show how numerous people, organizations, and elected officials are working towards a future where our neighbors don't have to sleep outside. Rejecting the myth that homelessness can't be solved is about choosing hope. While the change won't happen overnight, moving forward and not letting the size of the crisis immobilize us is essential. There is no act too small that can positively impact our vulnerable neighbors.

This post is part of an ongoing series debunking homelessness myths.
Part One: They are not local
Part Two: Homelessness is a personal failure
Part Three: Homelessness is a choice
Part Four: Homeless people are lazy

Build a Village

Two photos hanging from a fence greet visitors when walking into Westlake Village in Los Angeles. One has a placard underneath reading "Guest of the Month." The other is titled "Employee of the Month." The rotating designation encapsulates the spirit of the village and its values – building community, sharing positive feedback, and celebration. 

The community of 60 colorful Pallet shelters and street signs is a transitional place for people experiencing homelessness. Residents have access to a resource net of social services, meals, hygiene facilities, laundry, and more. Urban Alchemy (UA) — a social enterprise engaging with situations where extreme poverty meets homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorder — is the service provider for the site.

"My heart and compassion for the homeless population is huge. I believe that this is my calling," shared Wanda Williams. "We're preparing them now for what may be next."

Wanda is the Deputy Director of Residential Services at UA. She helped create a supportive environment for everyone at Westlake. It's important to her that all of the residents know they can reach out to the practitioners (staff members) for anything they need. Wanda describes their role as going above and beyond, shown through regular wellness checks and supporting residents while they work towards achieving their goals. Wanda says providing emotional support — similar to what you'd get from family — is essential for creating a nurturing environment. 

"Being out on the street, they don't have somebody to care for them," Wanda explained. "We try to mold and shape it into a whole family setting so that they understand and know that they're loved, that we care, and that we're trying to get them to a new place in life."

Wanda has worked with unhoused people for more than two decades. She began by handing out lunches in her hometown of Philadelphia. The number of people she helped grew from 50 to 100 to 300. In addition to meals, she distributed clothing to those in need. Because of a life event a few years ago, Wanda found herself needing the very help she was used to giving. The death of her mother sent her into a depression. In search of change, she relocated to the West Coast. Later, she became homeless. After staying in a shelter for more than a year, she was able to get back on her feet with the help of what began as part-time employment with UA. Wanda says they saw her potential, and she is now thriving within the organization. Like Pallet, UA values lived experience.  

"It's not about a degree. It's about a life experience. The majority of the people who work here, they have been incarcerated. They've been homeless," she explained. "We're able to deal with what they've been through because we've been there."

The Pallet shelters are climate controlled, have shelving for storage, windows with screens, electrical outlets to power personal devices, and a locking door. There's also a dog run for pets. 

Pranith moved in when the site opened and has personalized her space with butterfly decals. When the company she worked for was sold, she lost her job and became homeless. She lived in a tent before moving into Westlake.

"I'm really thankful for the space," Pranith shared. "Someway, somehow, I got to pick myself up. And this is actually a great opportunity."

She now has a part-time job and hopes to move into her own place soon. Pranith is one of several people at the site who are employed. UA employs some in their programs.

Residents staying at Westlake are working on goals: securing documentation such as a birth certificate, registering for housing, and applying for CalFresh assistance, a monthly food benefits program. 

Building relationships is a cornerstone of life in the village. Plenty of outdoor seating makes it easy for everyone to get to know each other. Cookouts are common, and forming bonds is encouraged. During the Superbowl last month, they all gathered around a tv in a common area to watch the game and ultimately celebrated the LA Rams victory. 

Wanda says she sees a physical difference after people get settled; they go "from a place of hopelessness to a place of life, a sense of belonging."

What happens in a Pallet shelter village

Pallet shelter villages are a transitional stepping stone from the streets to permanent housing. The villages provide the dignity and security of private units within a community setting. Residents have access to a resource net of on-site social services managed by a local service provider, appointed by the city or county leading the project. Compared to living unsheltered, Pallet's villages offer respite from the dangers of living outside. 

Pallet approaches safety in a few ways. First, our shelters are designed to meet or exceed industry guidelines, and are independently inspected by local authorities prior to residents moving in. Second, we require an on-site service provider as part of our dignity standards, ensuring that residents have the ongoing support and security required for their safety.

Our goal is to create a safe place for residents to rest and recharge as they work on taking the next step. Here's a look at how we've addressed various elements of safety for residents. 

Fire Safety

Any structure is susceptible to fire danger. Our team’s construction industry background and knowledge helped in the selection of materials that would be safe for people to reside in, strong enough to weather the elements, and easy to assemble so we can set up villages quickly. 

Pallet shelters are made up of a unique material mix that was specifically selected for safety, ease of use, and cost efficiency. The panels meet a Class C fire rating. This classification is a measurement of effectiveness against light fire exposure and is standard practice for all residential and commercial structures. Examples of other Class C building materials include hardboard siding panels, plywood, and masonite. Brick, for example, falls under a Class A rating. There are five classification levels. 

The shelter's fire rating meets International Building Code requirements as well as local standards in all of the eleven states we are currently in. Pallet makes fire rating information available before a city moves forward with contracting to build a village. This gives them time to independently verify that the structures meet local code requirements. After assembly, the shelters are inspected to ensure they meet code standards before residents move in. 

These measures, paired with the efforts of local authorities, ensure that cities and counties can build Pallet villages with confidence.

"Pallet shelters are designed to prioritize safety, and this is a key reason we chose this shelter intervention," said Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas. "They meet code requirements by the State and City departments, including the Oakland Fire Department."

Further, fire safety isn't solely about materials used. Another component includes measures that increase the likelihood of having enough time to safely escape a fire. If a three-bedroom home catches fire, building inspectors have set a standard to protect the resident. Those measures include fire alarms and ample windows and doors that can be used as an exit. Pallet’s shelters make the same considerations, and can be even easier to exit in the event of an emergency given their relatively small size.

In the unlikely event of a fire, all Pallet shelters are equipped with standard fire safety equipment. They include: 

• Fire extinguisher
• Secondary emergency egress door
• Hardwired smoke detector
• Hardwired CO monitor

“In designing our shelters, we borrowed fire safety best practices from our background in traditional permanent housing construction,” says Pallet Founder and CEO Amy King. “These practices, paired with independent inspection by local fire authorities, make Pallet a safe solution for cities.”  

The units are spaced several feet apart – dictated by local fire code – to minimize the damage if a fire occurs. Shelter spacing also provides more privacy between residents and their neighbors within the village. For additional safety, service provider staff perform regular wellness check-ins on residents. These checks are an opportunity to make sure residents keep the egress door clear and that there are no other fire hazards within the cabins.

Weather Protection

Pallet shelters are also equipped to handle wind, snow, and varying climates across the country. Our engineering team has performed numerous tests to ensure we've produced a quality product where people are protected. 

Climate Control 
Keeping people comfortable begins with the exterior. The panels of Pallet shelters are white and opaque with a glossy finish. Reflecting sunlight is helpful in the summer. Air conditioning units also help keep the shelters cool. They require less electricity to maintain comfortable interior temperatures due to the reflective nature of the shelter's exterior. 

Proper insulation is vital in cold weather and high temperatures. The shelter exterior panels have a foam insulating core. We offer thicker wall and roof insulation, a 4500-watt heater, and insulation under the floor panel as part of a cold-weather package for frigid climates.

Wind/Snow
Tests for windy and snowy conditions show the shelters can withstand 115 mph wind and a 25 lb./sq. ft. snow load for our standard units. Depending on the location, we can also make adjustments to increase the snow load to 50 lb./sq. ft. and wind to 170 mph. An additional safety feature that comes with every shelter includes a proprietary staking system, which allows the unit to be secured to the ground.

Personal Safety

One of the essential safety features of a Pallet shelter is the locking door. When residents are inside their cabin, they can relax and be sure their space can remain private. Staying in a Pallet shelter means they have a set place to focus on the next step. A locking door also means their personal belongings are safe. When someone is experiencing unsheltered homelessness, there's always a risk they'll be asked to move, and it's challenging to hold onto one's possessions. 

Other security measures in place at Pallet shelter villages can include fencing, security guards, and full-time staffing from a local service provider.

Safety is a top priority at Pallet. People experiencing homelessness are already in a vulnerable position. We aim to create a safe environment for them to thrive. 

Pallet envisions a world where no one goes unsheltered. Our villages provide people experiencing homelessness the dignity of personal space in a healing community environment. Because we're a Social Purpose Company (SPC), we can respond to this emergency with solutions built fast, at scale. SPC is the Washington state equivalent to a B corporation. We use profitability to expand our impact. Pallet's social purpose is to unlock possibilities by building shelter communities and employing a nontraditional workforce.

Why SPC vs. Nonprofit
We recognized the scale needed to be successful in ending unsheltered homelessness required a market-based solution. So we brought on investment partners to front-load the resources necessary to rapidly meet the needs of the ever-growing homelessness crisis across the country. Doing so allowed us to buy materials, secure a factory, hire staff, and more. Today we have more than 60 villages across 11 states with more than 100 employees. The investors on this journey understand Pallet is a social enterprise with the mission being the driving force, not substantial returns on profits.

“As a social purpose corporation, profit is not our first priority,” said Amy King, CEO of Pallet. “We exist because communities cannot quickly build enough affordable, permanent housing to meet the needs of their residents. This investment will ultimately help those cities and towns address the unsheltered homelessness crisis.”

Recently Pallet received $15 million in funding to help us expand the number of communities that want to address homelessness. The round was led by the impact investment firms DBL Partners and Citi via the Citi Impact Fund, with participation from six total firms.

Investment isn't solely monetary. Autodesk donated a suite of programs, including AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, and more, to Pallet through the Technology Impact Program. Our engineering department uses the software. Jennifer, who used to be a Manufacturing Specialist and is now Safety and Human Resources Specialist, is excited about new tools funded by the investment. 

"I was excited to hear about the new Rivet guns," Jennifer shared. "We could get our job done quicker. We're able to hire more people to help build this company."

Building a Workforce
More than 80 percent of Pallet employees have experienced homelessness, incarceration, or substance use disorder. Gaps in employment and other barriers can prevent people from these backgrounds from securing a job. 

Nearly one in three Americans have a criminal record, and even a misdemeanor or arrest can create a lifetime of barriers to employment. A Prison Policy Initiative analysis showed "the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people is nearly five times higher than the unemployment rate for the general United States population." Another analysis showed "formerly incarcerated individuals tend to experience joblessness and poverty that started long before they were ever locked up." Stable employment through a living wage job can help break this cycle. 

As a second chance friendly employer, we believe potential — not the past — defines people's futures. People who have had to live outside, navigate the prison system, or are in recovery are intelligent, resilient and have excellent survival tactics. Those skills can be used in a business setting. (*We now describe our hiring practices as fair chance employment. Learn why we changed our language here.) 

Pallet is committed to creating opportunity for others who have been overlooked. Having a dignified place to live and access to social services improves one's chances to transition to the next step. Second chance employment, or in some cases a first chance because of circumstances, creates a pathway to a different future. Lifting people up is the definition of our company name and reflects our values.

"The more you help the people at the bottom, the more you're helping everybody," said Amy. "Because everybody is responsible for that person at the bottom." 

Ten years ago Jessie’s mindset began to shift. He decided to pursue education and create a vision board to reflect his new goals: earn a MBA, buy a house, start a family, and take vacations. Today he's a CAD Designer and well on his way to checking off everything on this list. While Jessie's goals are straightforward, the path to get him there proved to be a bit rocky. When Jessie decided to change, he was incarcerated inside a Washington state prison. He was ten years into a 22-year sentence.

"While there, I was still doing the same stuff. You know what I mean? And nothing changed. Just my location," Jessie shared. "Finally, I was just like, 'You know what, man? I'm tired of this.' That's when I started really getting into education. Then once I started getting education, different doors opened up for me."

Jessie began with AutoCAD classes during his sentence and grew to love it. AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design and drafting software application. He also started working with reentry programs that help prisoners transition after release. Through partnerships with organizations, he'd let them know where they could find shelter, clothes, and other services. 

"If I can't get out right now, at least we can help somebody else get out," he explained. 

In addition to helping others, Jessie spent countless hours drawing and painting. He improved his skills by reading books on different techniques. The dedication to the craft is evident in the final product. His artistic talent made his career as a CAD designer a natural fit. 

While on work release during his last year of incarceration, Jessie worked at a fish factory and began studying mechanical engineering at a local technical college. 

New Chapter
After his work release ended, Jessie began a new chapter in his life. He had to learn how to use a smartphone, open a bank account, and navigate finding businesses. The pandemic helped ease the readjustment, "I was able to transition super slow because of COVID. It was easier. I think had it been non-COVID times it would have been too much for me."

Jessie also immediately began applying for jobs. He filled out hundreds of applications — 400 to be exact — with no success. 

"I did 100 in one day. I remember that day I got up at 5:00 in the morning and just kept putting them out everywhere, and nothing," he said. Despite the rejection, Jessie remained focused. "I always said, 'I may not be for them. I'll be for somebody, though.' I don't know who. Maybe not doing exactly what I want to do right off the gate, but eventually, I will."

Nearly one in three Americans have a criminal record, and even a misdemeanor or arrest can create a lifetime of barriers to employment. A Prison Policy Initiative analysis showed "the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people is nearly five times higher than the unemployment rate for the general United States population." Not finding stable employment can derail the transition from prison to community. 

Path to Pallet
Jessie didn't know how long it would take, but he was determined to never return to prison. Fortunately, seeds planted long before his release laid the groundwork for the perfect opportunity. While in prison, he met with Underground Ministries. They run a program called One Parish One Prisoner. One of its members knew Pallet Founder and CEO Amy King and emailed her about Jessie. After meeting with Amy and the Director of Engineering, he received a job offer. 

As part of his role at Pallet, Jessie has gone on village deployments, tracks specialty products used by the manufacturing team, and interfaces with community partners such as city officials. He also designs new Pallet products with Inventor, a 3D modeling software program from Autodesk, a global leader in design technology. The company donated AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, and more to Pallet through the Technology Impact Program. He knows firsthand how their investment is impacting our work.

"They're not just investing in the company," he shared. "They're investing in us as individuals as well, giving us opportunities."

Jessie's Future
Jessie is thriving and has one quarter left until earning an associate's degree. Next, he'll begin working on a bachelor's degree. He hasn't stopped giving back to the community. He volunteers weekly at local reentry programs, speaks to at-risk youth, and shares his story with people who are still incarcerated. It's his way of honoring his aunt, who was a constant source of support over the years. She told him to stay out of prison, he needed to give back. In doing so, he's inspired others to change the course of their life. 

As for his goal to go on vacation, Jessie has already taken one trip. He's also spending time with his fiancé and family, and enjoys going on hikes. He's building the life he envisioned years ago.

Because of his drive and perseverance in the face of obstacles, Jessie was determined to succeed. He's one of the many examples at Pallet where tapping into a hidden workforce is beneficial for both the company and employees. Jessie explains why second chance employment is of value to the community. (*We now describe our hiring practices as fair chance employment. Learn why we changed our language here.) 

"I'm able to help my fiancé, who in turn helps the kids, who in turn helps her parents. Just with this one job, you've already helped six people," Jessie shared. "That's not even including everybody else that I've been able to touch because of this job. You're turning around not just one life, but a handful."

Pallet shelter villages fill an essential yet missing gap in the housing spectrum. Our dignified transitional communities help people move from unsheltered homelessness. Pallet shelter villages welcome pets, partners and possessions. A resource net of on-site social services, food, showers, laundry, and more, helps people transition to permanent housing. 

In 2021, requests for Pallet’s innovative solution significantly increased. We partnered with dozens of cities and local service providers to address the homelessness crisis. We built 34 new villages and 1,343 sleeping cabins, expanding our footprint to nine states. Pallet’s workforce also grew to meet this growing need. Pallet is a second chance friendly employer. We believe potential — not the past — defines people’s futures. We hire people who have been homeless, are in recovery, and/or were previously incarcerated. Their lived experience is vital in helping us design and build restorative communities.

This year we plan to continue expanding access to transitional housing. With each new village opening, we get closer to our vision of a world where no one goes unsheltered. Read the full impact report below.

Jennifer always liked working with her hands and using power tools — in part because her father worked as a roofer. With two younger brothers, she took pride in proving she could do anything they could. Her tactile skills, honed over the years, made her a great fit as a manufacturing specialist at Pallet. She joined the team in May 2020. Jennifer began with the drill press, then progressed to other machines such as the chop saw and band saw. Jennifer also excelled at training others. When she wasn't working at Pallet's headquarters, she traveled to other cities to set up shelter villages as part of the deployment team. 

"It's very humbling when you're watching people take down their tents, and they are just so grateful and so excited and so happy that you're here, and they're thanking you," she shared. "You know that they're going to be okay because they're going to get more help."

Jennifer understands the realities of homelessness. She and her dad lived in a car, then an RV for more than a year. Living in an RV presented challenges, from constantly moving because of parking restrictions to finding ways to pay for gas. It was a struggle to support herself. Plus, she and her father were both using substances.

"Growing up in a dysfunctional family of two parents who are addicts themselves, they hid the drugs from us pretty well," she shared. "We didn't have an idea until we were older when we started bringing drugs into the house ourselves. And then they started doing our drugs with us. So we are a family that used together." 

In addition to years consumed by substance use disorder, Jennifer says she also experienced physical and verbal abuse from a previous partner. She describes feeling lost during this time in her life. Over the years, she tried to remain in recovery, but it wasn't until an arrest in the fall of 2019 that she was successful. Jennifer enrolled in the Mental Health Alternatives (MAP) program. This 12-month therapeutic program uses continuous and intensive court-supervised treatment and services to reduce recidivism. Once she completed the program, all of her charges were dismissed.

"I continued my journey in a clean and sober house which I became the resident assistant of," Jennifer said. "And from there, I got baptized. And that's really when I think the miracle happened within me. The light came back after that whole process, just letting everything go into the water."

Since joining Pallet, she's been able to begin rebuilding her life. She now has her license back, bought a car, and started making payments on the thousands of dollars worth of "financial wreckage" she had incurred in previous years. Two of the four judgments are paid off. She's grateful for the opportunity to rebuild her life.

"This is a second chance company. I didn't have to worry about explaining my felonies or anything that would come up on a background check," Jennifer shared. "I felt like I really dodged a bullet when I only had to fill out just a general application."

(*We now describe our hiring practices as fair chance employment. Learn why we changed our language here.) 

Jennifer likes that she can be her authentic self at work and doesn't have to worry about how she's being perceived. She feels seen for who she is and appreciated for what she contributes to the workplace.

These days when Jennifer gets home from work, she's no longer shaking out a few metal shavings from her hair. She's been promoted to Human Resources and Safety Specialist. In her new role, she's making sure employees follow safety protocols and schedules training sessions. Jennifer can spend more time with her daughter thanks to the new hours. She regained custody of her last fall and is rebuilding their relationship. Everyone in Jennifer's immediate family is also in recovery. 

Jennifer likes to cook in her spare time and plays in a softball league. She's looked back at old photos of herself and is proud of her transformation. Joy radiates from her eyes and smile. Today she has a purpose. 

"I know where I left off, and I can't imagine there being a deeper bottom than what I've already crawled out of," she shared. "I found myself again. I've worked on myself enough. I actually have my independence back now, and I'm doing this on my own."

For the last three years, Daniece has been committed to self-improvement. She works full-time at Pallet as a manufacturing specialist, manages two homes for people in recovery, and is mending relationships. She's showing her family she's back in their lives for good.

The path Daniece is now on began when she was incarcerated. While serving a sentence, she enrolled in an intensive substance use treatment program. It ended up being a transformative experience. The approach required her to get up at 5 a.m. and attend group meetings. She also received counseling, motivational interviewing, and recovery-focused skill building. Daniece completed a relapse prevention exercise which she described as scary. 

"They made you plan your next relapse. Plan, how you're going to get it, how much you're going to get, how you're going to use it, what you're going to do with it and how long you think that's going to last," Daniece explained. "Then, when you're done with that, what's going to happen?" 

Daniece said she experienced anxiety and stomach aches throughout the planning process.

"But they do that to build a new pathway in your brain," she shared. "After you present that, then you know you don't ever want to do that."

From there, Daniece progressed in the program and even became the big sister to another inmate. She provided support and helped guide them through the treatment process. They formed a bond and they’re still in contact. Daniece says the program helped build self-esteem, and learned a lot about herself as well. Discovering her learning style was eye-opening. 

"Some people can read. Some people need to write it down. Some people can watch somebody else do it," she shared. "But for me, I physically have to do it with my hands in order for me to comprehend it. Which I didn't pinpoint that before, so it just makes it easier for how I learn now."

While incarcerated, Daniece connected with The If Project. The nonprofit organization collaborates with currently and formerly incarcerated adults, community partners, and law enforcement focused on holistic intervention and reducing and preventing incarceration and recidivism. They suggested she apply for a position at Pallet after her release. As a second chance friendly employer, we believe potential — not the past — defines people's futures. More than 80% of our employees are formerly homeless, in recovery, or previously involved in the justice system. (*We now describe our hiring practices as fair chance employment. Learn why we changed our language here.)  Daniece joined the team in 2020 and is thriving in a supportive environment. 

"We just give our all to it. It's rewarding because it's going to the homeless people," Daniece said. "Somebody could offer me more money to go someplace else. And I wouldn't because this is a rewarding job for me."

Daniece also experienced homelessness for about a year and is sure if she had the chance to live temporarily in a Pallet shelter, it would've made a difference.

"Shelter over my head and a place to put my things and possibly sleep without worrying about everything. I know I could've done a lot more for myself. I wouldn't have had to go to prison to realize that. That's why the shelters are super rewarding for me."

While in treatment Daniece created a vision board which outlined various goals she created for herself for the next five years. It included paying off fines and buying a car, which she accomplished in just one month. She’s proud of her accomplishments and is continuing to work towards personal development. 

In addition to working at Pallet, Daniece is training to become one of the coaches at Recovery Café, a refuge for healing and hope for people traumatized by homelessness, substance use, and other mental health challenges. Plus, she's on The If Project's council. 

"I took a lot from the community," Daniece shared. "I'm in a position where I want to give back now."

From the start, Pallet employed a non-traditional workforce to build shelters for people experiencing homelessness. We believe potential — not the past — defines people's futures. More than 80% of our employees are formerly homeless, in recovery, or previously involved in the justice system. People with lived experience are vital in helping us design and build restorative communities. Amy King, Pallet Founder and CEO, wouldn’t have it any other way. She encourages employers to adopt a diversified employment practice.

In this follow-up to five tips to becoming a second chance employer, Amy answers frequently asked questions about hiring. (*We now describe our hiring practices as fair chance employment. Learn why we changed our language here.) 

Do I need to perform a background check?

A background check isn't necessary for many industries. Exceptions include those that interact with children. If an employer chooses to run a background check, Amy says it's best to approach it as a tool for honest communication. 

"We take more of the approach of, here's your background check. You've seen it, we've seen it. Let's have a conversation about it. It creates that inherent kind of foundation and undercurrent of trust between us and the employee as we go forward. I think it's a helpful tool."

One upside to going over background check results is that it gives the employee a chance to verify that all the information is correct. If there's an error, we direct them to a service that helps them clear it.

The results from a background check have never disqualified anyone from working at Pallet. 

Should we have sobriety requirements?

This decision depends on the industry and corporate values. Pallet is a substance-free workplace. We chose this partly because many of our employees are in recovery, so we've created a culture that supports them.  

"When you come here, this is a safe place. If you can't pass a drug test, you can't be here because the person next to you is fighting hard for their sobriety, and we don't want you to derail them. And they don't want to derail you, you're in this together. It's less about substance use as it is about creating a culture of safety. And I think that's the key for people who want to do second chance employment; it's got to be a safe environment for people."

I'm concerned my current employees will be scared. How do I address fears of safety?

One of the best things you can do is expose your existing staff to people with lived experience before hiring. For example, Amy has helped interested employers by putting together a panel of people to discuss their lives and the circumstances leading to homelessness, substance use, or incarceration.

"Hearing these stories of rehabilitation and recognizing that someone exiting prison or coming out of addiction or coming off the streets out of homelessness doesn't have to be a scary person. And is probably, in fact, inherently not a scary person. They're a person who needs help."

What about theft?

"That person is no more dangerous than anybody else in your building. I guarantee it. People are people," Amy explained. "Give your people the benefit of the doubt. If you trust them and you believe in them, they will believe in themselves and trust themselves. And then it becomes a shared trust."

How high is staff turnover?

Pallet has been able to avoid the revolving door of staff and the expense that comes with it.

"We have very low turnover rates compared to most businesses because our people are very loyal. They're doing purposeful, mission-driven work that they care about, so they're more likely to stay here."

Why should I hire a nontraditional workforce?

"One of the best things you can do to contribute to our community is help the people who are the most marginalized and who have the least amount of opportunity. That might not seem like an obvious thing. But the more you help the people at the bottom, the more you're helping everybody. Because everybody is responsible for that person at the bottom, whether they're aware of it or not, and it's not just economics, either. Human beings are not inclined to ignore one another's suffering, and whether we outwardly ignore it or not, it's there."

For more on Pallet’s workforce and the construction of our shelter villages, check out this podcast interview transcription with Amy. 

Pallet's nontraditional workforce is an integral part of our success. Temporary shelters are the foundation of our people-first restorative communities across the country for unhoused people. Because our team members have lived experience in homelessness, Pallet makes a product that uniquely meets the needs of people who have been living on the street. Their input is essential.

As a second chance friendly employer, we believe potential — not the past — defines people's futures. More than 80% of our employees are formerly homeless, in recovery, or previously involved in the justice system. (*We now describe our hiring practices as fair chance employment. Learn why we changed our language here.)

People who have had to live outside, navigate the prison system, or recover from substance use disorder have incredible survival tactics, are resilient and intelligent. Amy King, Pallet founder and CEO, says those skill sets can be repurposed, “The best possible candidate on paper is not always the best possible candidate for your culture, for what you want to do, for your mission, for your vision and your values. And it could be that you need a little bit of both. You need some that are really skilled, and then you need some really creative people.”

Amy has shared her expertise with companies considering tapping into this hidden workforce. Here are her five tips to get started:

#1 Hire in groups, not just one person

An employer may prefer to "test the waters" of being a second chance employer by starting with a pilot program. Amy cautions against this.

"It's not going to work because you've singled them out. There's one single person with this diverse background. They're all alone in the workplace, and people aren't stupid. They're going to know where they come from, and they're going to understand kind of why they're different, and they're going to get singled out. That's just human nature. It's unfortunate, but it's true."

#2 Hire for management, not solely entry-level positions

"One of our biggest keys to success here has been elevating people with lived experience to positions of leadership and authority. So that someone coming in at an entry-level position sees someone like them on the board, in the leadership position, as a manager, supervisor. And they say, 'Oh, that person's like me, and they're my boss, or they're my boss's boss or whatever the case might be.' I think that's critical to success."

#3 Create a flexible staffing strategy

Suppose an employer hires people who have recently exited the criminal justice system. In that case, they need to utilize a staffing strategy that allows for unplanned absences. For example, this type of employee may need to complete court-ordered requirements such as outpatient treatment, parenting classes, or drug testing. Because these requirements often occur during business hours, the employee will need to be away with the confidence that it won't put their job at risk. Employers should accommodate these population-specific needs.

Amy first encountered this particular challenge at Square Peg Construction, a general contracting company she co-founded with her husband, Brady.

"Instead of fighting it, we said, 'Let's just accommodate for that.' We overstaffed so that if someone was gone, we could still perform on our schedule. In other words, we created the staffing strategy in such a way that we could still complete our work on time, on budget, regardless of ten percent of people being out of office."

#4 Create an inclusive environment

"Inclusive in the sense that you've created a space where people can feel welcome and comfortable. They can be themselves wholly and completely in their place of employment and not feel like they have to conform to whatever that environment is, which is not traditional corporate culture."

Acceptance is a crucial component and an understanding that everyone didn't have access to the same opportunities.

#5 Prepare to apply for tax credits

Federal and state tax credits are available to employers who hire people from groups who face significant barriers to employment. Pallet utilizes the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, a federal program. The credit ranges from $1,200 to $9,600 depending on the targeted group hired, including formerly incarcerated people, vocational rehabilitation referrals, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.

Pallet uses the tax credit to fund programs and services provided to staff, such as manufacturing training, life skills training, and personal support services.

Tax credit aside, Amy says using diversified hiring practices makes Pallet a versatile company. Bringing in people who can process and problem solve with compassion, sensitivity, and creativity is vital.

Part II: FAQ’s about becoming a second chance employer