The Portloo Loo (a public toilet for homeless people)
Homeless people have many issues, and one is where to find public bathrooms. Many places are off-limits (such as public toilets that charge money) and yet going to the toilet in parks can even bring indecency charges, if someone happens to be walking by at the time.
What is The Portland Loo?
Portland Loo is a super invention from Oregon in the US (it delivers worldwide and is used as far away as New Zealand). It costs around $30,000 but is designed to last for decades. And is easily installed in busy areas or even public parks, and needs little maintenance other than cleaning.
Made from quality stainless steel, it is designed for privacy, yet has louvred walls so the top part is ventilated (also to help monitoring to avoid say being used for prostitution). With optional blue lighting, to deter drug use (makes it difficult to find veins to inject needles).
The Portland Loo is also accessible for disabled people, with exterior mounted wash stations to minimise occupancy time.
It’s also large enough inside for homeless people with dogs to take their pooches inside with them, to keep them safe while they use the facilities.
The company recommends siting in areas approved by designing out crime officers. And cleaning 2 to 5 times a day.
Other bathroom solutions for homeless people
Some free options are shopping centres, train stations, public libraries, council offices or even 24-hour supermarkets and fast food restaurants.
Pit Stop (San Francisco) are public bathrooms designed for homeless people, with places to deposit used dog poop bags and sharps boxes for needles, to avoid littering in public parks. These are cleaned by paid staff, and have soap, running water and hand towels.
They were installed, after parents were notifying the council that they were having to walk their children around human waste, on the way to school. To its credit, the council took the criticism on board and did something about it. Plus Vet SOS provides food and medical care for dogs of homeless people.
In Paris, there are over 400 free self-cleaning toilets called sanisettes. The invention is good, but policy is not as they are designed to open after 15 minutes and closed from 6am to 10pm, so homeless people can’t use them. They also don’t have hot running water, so have hygiene issues.
The Vatican in Rome gets a lot of things wrong (like taking $30,000 a month to rent a building to McDonald’s) and supporting bullfighting, too scared to lose income from Catholic countries.
But one good thing it’s done is to provide dedicated restrooms, showers and a barber service for homeless people in St Peter’s Square.
Public bathrooms for disabled homeless people
Order a cheap Radar key that will open thousands of locked public toilets nationwide (if you can’t afford £3, then ask a local hostel or the council to help). You can also use these if you have a condition that means you need the toilet a lot (like IBS, Chrohn’s disease, incontinence or heavy periods).
This key also accesses Changing Places disabled toilets (wheelchair accessible, and around half of them have a shower). ShowerBox offers free showers for homeless people in London, Barking and Birmingham.
