This Man Builds Little Homes For The Homeless. We Need Him In Canada. | HuffPost

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This Man Builds Little Homes For The Homeless. We Need Him In Canada.

Jesse Ferreras— The Huffington Post Canada

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Elvis Summers grew tired of letting his friend Smokie live without a roof over her head.

The 37-year-old Los Angeles man befriended homeless 60-year-old Irene McGhee, nickname "Smokie," after she collected bottles from his neighbourhood at 30th and Van Buren, CBS reported.

McGhee had been without a home for over a decade, after she lost her husband and house, the network said.

So Summers scrounged up $500, spent it on wood, and obtained some donated roofing and siding materials. He built her a three-and-a-half-by-eight-foot home in five days.

He posted a video of the building process to YouTube last week, which had drawn almost 4 million hits by Friday.

And now, Summers wants to extend his kindness to others. He has started a GoFundMe page titled, "Tiny House Huge Purpose."

It seeks $50,000 in contributions so that similar homes can be built for homeless people in the United States.

"How can a person begin to hope and raise themselves up if they only have the dirt beneath their feet to rest upon?" Summers said on the page.

His campaign had raised just over $24,000 as of Friday.

But the United States isn't the only place that could use a little kindness like this.

The Homeless Hub estimates that as many as "35,000 Canadians are homeless on a given night."

In 2013, Abbotsford, B.C.'s 5 and 2 Ministries built dog house-sized shelters for the homeless amid a conflict with the city.

Check out some housing affordability solutions around Metro Vancouver:

Innovative Housing Solutions Around Vancouver

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This gallery shows images of a shipping container that's being used to house the homeless in Campbell River this winter. (credit:Courtesy of Paul Mason)

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(credit:Courtesy of Paul Mason)

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(credit:Courtesy of Paul Mason)

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(credit:Courtesy of Paul Mason)

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(credit:Courtesy of Paul Mason)

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(credit:Courtesy of Paul Mason)

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(credit:Ward Draper)

502 Alexander Street, Vancouver(14 of76)

(credit:Atira Women’s Resource Society)

502 Alexander Street, Vancouver(15 of76)

(credit:Atira Women’s Resource Society)

502 Alexander Street, Vancouver(16 of76)

(credit:Atira Women’s Resource Society)

502 Alexander Street, Vancouver(17 of76)

(credit:Atira Women’s Resource Society)

502 Alexander Street, Vancouver(18 of76)

(credit:Atira Women’s Resource Society)

Residential Shipping Container(19 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(20 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(21 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(22 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(23 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(24 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(25 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(26 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(27 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(28 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(29 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Residential Shipping Container(30 of76)

New Zealand. (credit:Atelier Workshop)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(31 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(32 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(33 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(34 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(35 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(36 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(37 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(38 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(39 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(40 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(41 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(42 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(43 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(44 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(45 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(46 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(47 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Zigloo Domenstique Complete(48 of76)

Victoria, B.C. (credit:Nik West via Zigloo)

Eco-Cargo Cargospace Living(49 of76)

Conceptual design. (credit:Zigloo)

Eco-Cargo Cargospace Living(50 of76)

Conceptual design. (credit:Zigloo)

Stac Haus(51 of76)

Conceptual design. San Francisco. (credit:Zigloo)

Container City I(52 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

Container City I(53 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

Container City I(54 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

Container City II(55 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

Container City II(56 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

Fawood Children's Centre(57 of76)

London. (credit:Container City™)

Container Learn(58 of76)

Tower Hamlets College, London. (credit:Container City™)

The Riverside Building(59 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

The Riverside Building(60 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

The Riverside Building(61 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

The Riverside Building(62 of76)

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. (credit:Container City™)

Studio Apartment(63 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(64 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(65 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(66 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(67 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(68 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(69 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(70 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Studio Apartment(71 of76)

Starting at $15,000 USD. (credit:containerhomes.net)

Cove Park(72 of76)

Scotland (credit:Cove Park)

Cove Park(73 of76)

Scotland (credit:Container City™)

Cove Park(74 of76)

Scotland. (credit:Cove Park)

Cove Park(75 of76)

Scotland. (credit:Container City™)

Cove Park(76 of76)

Scotland. (credit:Cove Park)

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