The Makeshift Traveler Journey has always been about more than a backpack. While the solar-powered Makeshift Traveler provides daily relief, safety, and mobility for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, the long-term mission has always been to move from immediate survival toward lasting stability.
This month in Yreka, California, we took a major step forward in that direction.
The HomeMore Project conducted a focus group with individuals who have received Makeshift Travelers in Siskiyou County as we continue planning for our first Tiny Home Transitional Housing Program in 2026. This session centered on listening to lived experience, gathering input on unit design, communal space needs, programming priorities, and the types of supports that would meaningfully accelerate people’s ability to regain stability, employment, and independence.
Participants spoke about what has helped them, what has failed them, and what they still need most. This included privacy and personal safety, to on-site case support, to places to store belongings and charge devices. Many expressed that even small design choices can either empower someone trying to rebuild or unintentionally create new barriers. Their feedback will directly shape our site plan, modular unit specifications, and service model.
As we continue this journey, we are grateful to the Yreka community, to those who courageously shared their lived experiences, and to the partners who are helping us design this next chapter together.