Homes for Hope, University of Southern California’s architecture and design workshop, is partnering with various city officials and the Skid Row Housing Trust to explore the development of better homeless shelters in Skid Row.

This notorious pocket of Downtown Los Angeles is known among locals as a highly impoverished district occupied by those who are living on the streets. The district spans four miles and typically holds between 8,000-11,000 inhabitants.

The proposal originally began as a class project sponsored by Madworkshop, in which students and professors constructed models of miniature housing pods that could be created for less than $25,000 each. After reviewing the prototype’s low costs, efficiency, and ease-of-use with the city, their project may soon become a reality.

As opposed to current dormitory-style shelters, each pod is a 92-square-foot prefabricated unit that is also compliant with the city of Los Angeles’ strict zoning and building regulations. The affordable housing units are easily transportable and can be built in about two weeks. The goal of the project is to provide a smoother housing transition for the homeless and into permanent housing.

Here is the video for Homes for Hope: