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Osvaldo Medrano, living on the streets of Los Angeles, missed what most of us likely take for granted: the comfort of a home. He decided to take matters into his own hands and created his own little sanctuary right on the sidewalk, and now he’s turned it into a bit of business.

Homelessness, according to recent data, is at an all-time high in the U.S. due to the affordability crisis. Millions are on the brink of losing everything, and while there are systems in place and resources for the unhoused, there definitely isn’t enough to go around, leaving those affected, like Medrano, to fend for themselves. 

Osvaldo Medrano built his own tiny home on the sidewalk and is now selling them for $150.

Osvaldo Medrano built his own tiny home to be more comfortable while living on the streets in L.A., but now he’s turned it into a small business, selling them to others. He built his tiny sidewalk home from wood, with a sheet metal roof, and even planted a garden box at the entrance.

He explained that maintaining his home and keeping it clean is very important to him. “I try to maintain the principles I had in my apartment: being clean, keeping my things in order, having only what I need, and not accumulating things.”

It was through tough circumstances that Medrano found himself living on the streets. So, he decided to build himself a small house away from the crowded tents on other streets. It has an area to wash up in the front and a bed further back. He even has a television and air conditioning. 

Medrano said the owners of a nearby business gave him permission to use their electricity, and he gets water for bathing and cleaning from a tap a few blocks away, which he fills in a bucket and carries home.

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Since building his tiny home, he’s managed to sell them to other unhoused individuals.

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Medrano works cleaning warehouses. But on the side, he’s been able to make other small homes and sell them to other unhoused people.

“People walk by and see it and tell me they want one just like it,” Medrano said. “One time, someone walked by, and I was making one — I made it with little wheels — and a lady came up and said, ‘I want that one.’ She left me a $100 deposit, and I made it for her.”

Medrano sells his tiny homes for $150, and so far, he’s made and sold six in total. Many unhoused people aren’t fans of living in shelters, mostly because they aren’t completely safe there and have to be on the lookout for others who might want to cause them harm. By being able to have a tiny home, they are allowed a bit of security and privacy despite their life circumstances.

“In shelters, they set rules, and on the street, I think people are going to live their lives on their own terms, just in something different,” he said. “And they won’t be in houses of garbage and tents made of plastic and rags anymore.”

In Los Angeles alone, there are approximately 72,195 unhoused people living on the streets. Statewide, that number rests at over 100,000. While there are services for the unhoused in the city, it isn’t a solution that can solve the large number of people living on the streets. 

People like Medrano, who come up with solutions where there aren’t any, show that even with very few options, we can all contribute to helping each other. Owning a home might be a privilege, but the comfort of a safe space to rest should be a right.

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.