A dad spent $65k making a trailer with tiny 4ft by 8ft sleep pods - to help get people off the streets.

Jason Christensen, 39, wanted to do something to help with homelessness after seeing a man sleeping on the sidewalk on his way to work.

He came up with the idea to combine capsule hotels - that he had seen in Japan - with a moving trailer.

He used his savings, money from friends and family and took out a bank loan to make a prototype in May 2021 - which has eight tiny pods.

But now he has been given a $120k grant to kick start a pilot project - working with non-profit organisation called Crossroads Communities and travelling around Oregon offering people a safe place to sleep.

So far, since January 2025, they have helped get 19 people off the streets and into their next steps.

Jason, an executive director at a non-profit and founder of Sleep Trailers, from Albany, Oregon, said: "I came across the capsule hotels like they have in Japan and thought 'that's perfect'."

"It's just what you need - you can lock them and feel safe and secure."

"The tiny home movement was getting a lot of attention. "

"So I combined the two - capsule hotels on a trailer."

Jason first felt a pull to do something to help in 2016.

He said: "I was on my way to work one day and I saw a gentleman sleeping below a business overhang - he was sleeping on the sidewalk."

"I got really mad. Why in my community is this the best we can do?"

"It gave me a punch to my gut."

Jason began thinking about what he could do to make a difference and realised what people needed most was safety and security.

He said: "I built it like 'what I would I need?'."

"I need a space I can rely on and some privacy."

Jason spent the next few years building up a concept and a design before deciding with his wife, Trischelle, if he was definitely going to go for it.

In May 2021 he decided to use his own money and a bank loan to have a prototype built.

The trailer has eight lockable sleep pods with air con, heating and a window.

He said: "It was surreal [to see it built]."

"It was a passion project for all these years."

After it was built Jason spent the next few years getting it out there and getting opinions on it.

He started working with Crossroads Communities - a non-profit that sorts affordable housing.

Jason said: "They saw me as the missing piece."

"I provide the trailer - they provide the staff."

In January 2025 Jason was able to start his pilot project after getting a $120k grant.

They started with the trailer in Lebanon, Oregon, and had 35 people come and stay in the pods for varying amounts of time.

Jason said: "We were able to get 18 to 19 people off the street and into the next steps."

"It did the thing we'd wanted it to do."

"It's very validating."

Jason's goal is to now make more trailers - but with prices rising he has now been quoted $150k to make one.

He needs donations and those offering their place as somewhere to park the trailer and run it.

He also hopes the trailer could be used to help with the fallout from natural disasters, rehabilitation programmes and as women's shelters.

Jason said: "My big vision is that every city or county has one or two sleep trailers."

"Every place would need three places [to park it] and we'd rotate it every few months."

"Homelessness is impacting us really heavily."

"19 people are on a better path as a result of this."

To support Sleep Trailers go to - https://sleeptrailer.com/about/