Old Metro cars may be used as tiny houses for the homeless

WMATA is saying goodbye to its least reliable railcars, and one D.C. architect has an idea for how to use them rather than trash them.

Arthur Cotton Moore told The Washington Post that he has already sketched out his idea to add prefab kitchenettes and bathrooms to each car in order to transform them into tiny homes for the homeless. Each car would be able to produce a pair of 560-square-foot, one-bedroom apartments.

While Moore hopes the tiny home design could be used to help the homeless, there are still some hurdles that need to be crossed before his idea can become a reality. For one, some cars contain asbestos.

Already, though, WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel told The Washington Post that he would consider the proposal.

“Just as we are providing decommissioned rail cars upon request to emergency responders in the region for training purposes, Metro will consider any viable proposal for other uses of the cars, provided that it is budget neutral to Metro and complies with all applicable laws, regulations, etc.,” said Stessel.

• A District architect thinks old Metro train cars should be turned into tiny houses [The Washington Post]