Disaster Relief

Since its genesis, AbleNook was intended to be the solution to emergency and natural disaster housing. Our founder, Sean Verdecia, had a vision of a flat packed, easily assembled emergency dwelling that provided safety and dignity to the victims of disasters. The tragedies in Homestead, New Orleans and recently Maui show us that we need better housing solutions for disaster relief.

To this day disaster victims are still provided small, unsightly trailers to live in while they try to put their lives back together. We feel there is a better option, AbleNook. Flat packed, we can ship anywhere using any standard logistics for truck, rail or ship. Easily assembled, local labor forces can construct an AbleNook with no heavy equipment or tools. An allen wrench and impact driver are all you need. No specialty trades like carpenters and masons, no drywall or painting. The AbleNook arrives complete out of the box. A beautiful modular tiny home that can be constructed by hand in less time than it takes to restore power after a disaster. Appliances, finishes, cabinetry all provided. Adjustable legs allow installation on any terrain or foundation with up to a 12” height difference between feet. The AbleNook is utility agnostic. Any current sewer, water and electrical solution can be used and we even offer a gas package for heating and cooking.

Maybe the most important feature of the AbleNook in a disaster situation is its ability to be taken apart and used again in another location. We offer a fully functioning single family permanent structure that can be repurposed in another location. Additionally if the recipient wants to keep the AbleNook it can be expanded into a larger model without tearing it down. You can simply remove the existing walls and expand the footprint. Additionally workplace housing built out of AbleNook parts can be slowly removed and turned into permanent housing for residents as the need for labor recedes.

There are no run away building and material costs with an AbleNook. The price you pay includes all the materials you will need to build the entire unit. There are no emergency costs for cranes and heavy equipment. No extra labor costs for specialized emergency tradespeople to work overtime to get disaster victims housed. The entire project cost for an AbleNook relief program will be orders of magnitude less than standard construction.