In 2021, appalled by the worsening homelessness crisis in Tucson and a lack of effective city action, Kris Olson-Garewal and her son, Raj Garewal, decided to take matters into their own hands. Raj proposed the idea for The Homing Project (THP), incorporating it as a non-profit in August 2021 and researching micro-cabins as a practical approach to transitional housing. Meanwhile, Kris focused on securing essential grant funding.
Raj identified Pallet Shelter—a manufacturer based in Everett, Washington—as a leading supplier of micro-cabins. Pallet had already equipped over 100 shelter villages across the country, particularly along the West Coast. Impressed by their track record, THP ordered 15 of Pallet’s 64-square-foot units in February 2023.
To build public support while awaiting delivery, THP borrowed a single Pallet-64 unit. Volunteers assembled it atop a small trailer donated by Monica and Marlon Keibel, creating a mobile display unit. This trailer-mounted cabin allowed the public to experience the promise of transitional housing firsthand at high-visibility venues, including the Tucson Mall and the Tucson Festival of Books. The mobile display proved so effective as an educational tool that THP ultimately purchased the borrowed unit.
Exhibiting the unit outside the Tucson Mall’s REI store in July 2023 provided crucial local insights. THP discovered that the standard wall insulation and factory-installed window air conditioner were no match for Tucson’s extreme summer heat. In response, THP worked with Pallet Shelter to upgrade the thermal insulation (R-factor) on their pending order and opted to source higher-capacity air conditioning units locally.
When the flat-packed shipment of 15 micro-cabins arrived in March 2024, Habitat for Humanity generously provided storage. On April 19, 2025, once the Village 1 site was fully prepared, the units were transported and assembled by community volunteers.
As Pallet Shelter prepares to close its Everett factory, THP honors the vital role the company played in supplying physical housing solutions for thousands of unhoused individuals nationwide. Looking ahead to future developments, THP plans to partner with Habitat for Humanity to build micro-cabins for subsequent village sites.