Buses changed to showers for homeless

With 6,500 people living on the streets in 2013, San Francisco is, unofficially, USA’s homeless capital.

Cleanliness is one of the many problems people with no homes battle with and the city provided them with only 16 to 20 shower stalls which are, by no means, able to cope with the overwhelming number of homeless people who want to stay clean.

But a new project comes to their aid as Doniece Sandoval, a former marketing executive, has made it her mission to help increase the number of showers for homeless in the city in an innovative manner.

She plans to transform decommissioned city buses into mobile shower stations for the homeless. The project is entitled Lava Mae and has been very well received by city officials who have already supplied her with one bus and promised more to come if the project proves to be successful.

‘For people who are unhoused, access to showers is very difficult. Shower buses are something that could potentially be deployed in response to an emergency, so it is relevant to all San Franciscans. Doniece has done an incredible job as a citizen who cares about helping the poor. We are very excited to see Lava Mae become real next year’, said Dufty Bevan, director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships & Engagement.

Each of the buses will be equipped with 2 showers and, hopefully, will be able to provide as many as 2000 showers on a daily basis.