Nathan Monk knows how it feels to be homeless.
“We lost our original house, and then we began bouncing back and forth between friends’ houses, hotels, and cars,” he told TODAY.com about his childhood. “A mythical promise had been built up by our parents that once everything was okay and we were out of poverty, we’d get to go on an epic vacation to Disney World.”
Monk says it never happened, and that his childhood came and went. Now as an adult with a wife, Tashina, and three kids, ages 10, 4 and 1, he’s made it his mission to help homeless families — even if that means changing their own living situation.
Monk and his family of five plan on living in a 300-square-foot home to raise awareness for homeless families. Two different architects are helping him create the home, and the design they’re working on right now is a three-bedroom concept. The building plan will then be distributed for free, along with DIY videos, to help provide a means for transition or full-time housing for homeless.
“It’s kind of a statement within a statement,” he said, adding that his family is happy to be the guinea pig for the inspiring project.
The Monk family is currently in a three-bedroom 1,200 square-foot rental, but he says they should have no problem fitting into a tiny home.
“They’re in love with the idea,” he said about his kids feelings towards the tiny home. “We were nervous about them liking it at first, but they absolutely think it’s going to be the greatest thing.”
Monk is holding a funding campaign an Indiegogo.com to help fund the prototype. The campaign ends July 5 at midnight.
“We really want to move forward right away,” he said. “It’s a big dream, but I think it’s possible.”