The photography of William W. Ting documents temporary shelters in the nooks and crannies of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
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- A plea for acceptance
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- A temporary shelter where ever there is cover from Vancouver's rain.
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- A few nights without rain will keep this bed dry
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- Protection from the sun
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- Open air closet and tipped cart shelter
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- Shelter from staring eyes
Our urban landscape is changing. Population density in the downtown core and surrounding pods is on the rise. Such growth encourages geographical relocation of resources and population. Despite increased housing availability, homelessness in the city persists. Housing shortages among the poverty-striken produce a city within the city. Shopping carts, boxes, mattresses, discarded materials from the sustainable model become popular building materials for the urbanites of the alternative model. These images show how city dwellers cope with the basic need for shelter. The idea for this project came from a study that Japanese contemporary artist Kyohei Sakaguchi has conducted on alternative Japanese housing, appropriately named “Zero Yen House”.
I have named Vancouver’s version “Zero Loonie Shelter”.
| WE DONT LIKE BEING HOMELESS JUST AS MUCH AS you don’t WANT US HERE. WE ARE HOPING For a little BIT PATIENTS + UNDERst- ANDING, Wile we try to FIND A APARTMENt ThANK YOU |
| - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - This is the ONLY HOME WE BUILD OURSELVES. WE do have a JOB + I GO 2 SCHOOL. PLEASE RESPECT WhAT W’EVE TempoRAIRLY CREATED. WE ARE LOOKING 4 PERMINENT APARtMENt. IF you destroy our corner. We will BE homeless + delay our Apt HUNt Due 2 RElOCAtING 2 NEW corner. |
