Homeless man lives in $1,500 disguised dumpster
USA - After spending several nights on the cold streets of New York City, two male models teamed up to build a home disguised as a dumpster for a homeless man who showed them kindness. Damian ‘Dean’ Cummings moved into a tiny hidden home ten months ago in Soho after meeting Shane Duffy, 37, and America’s Next Top model contestant Phil Sullivan, 28, in February 2016.
The two met the 39-yearold when they posed as homeless men, looking for a worthy recipient to sponsor for their charity.
Cummings took the models under his wing, pointing out places to sleep, how to find food and even shared some of his blankets with them. In return, Duffy and Sullivan decided to build him a semipermanent home and spent $1,500 on creating a safe place Cummings could call his own, equipped with solar panels and USB ports.
The man behind the idea was Duffy, who works as a contractor. He told the New York Post: ‘I noticed all of the dumpsters attached to buildings. Then it dawned on me — what if the home was hidden?’
Cummings moved into his new digs, which is four feet wide, four feet tall and a little over six feet long, in June 2016. It is outfitted with wheels, lights, a safety lock, two USB ports, a window and solar panels.
Currently, the wooden shelter is parked at Spring and Wooster streets, in Soho, Manhattan.
Cummings said to the news outlet: ‘I’ve been ecstatic. Sitting in there feels like you are actually in a home.’
The Trinidad native, who has been homeless for the past seven years, said his home is disguised so well that people often try to throw trash away in it.
He added: ‘A lot of people come by with big bags on their shoulders and try to throw them out.
‘It’s really funny. One time I laughed a little too hard, and the guy was like, “Hello?”’ For Cummings, it is more than a warm place to sleep. It allows him to safely lock up his belongings so he doesn’t have to lug it around with him when he goes to work.
Originally, Duffy and Sullivan thought the makeshift home would only last a week before Cummings was discovered and booted. The only incident occurred two months ago when the Sanitation Department showed up at his ‘dumpster’ step and told him to keep the area clean. (dailymail.co.uk)