Vinay Gupta’s Hexayurt, a semi-permanent structure that can be built to house a family of eight from about $100’s worth of cheap material, is a critical solution for the mess in Haiti. If implemented in the current situation, hexayurts can house the brunt of displaced survivors until more permanent aid is forthcoming. Ask your local government and NGO bodies to consider using the hexayurt as part of their relief effort.

The Hexayurt is a new kind of sheltering solution. To make the simplest hexayurt, make a wall by putting six sheets of plywood on their sides in a hexagon. Cut six more sheets in half diagonally, and screw them together into a shallow cone. Lift with a large group on to the wall, and fasten with more screws. This shelter will last for several years and costs less than $100. It may be ideal for a variety of disaster relief situations.

Here are the key points.

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This is a tremendous opportunity to provide emergency housing in Haiti. The Red Cross has reviewed it positively. How to get the materials in country soon enough to make a difference? A local group in Bennington, VT has begun an airlift movement. The 4x8 sheets could be loaded directly on the plane and dropped at the airport and assembled onsite, as opposed to the prefab version, but the materials still need to be moved out to the countryside where they’re needed. This gets a big thumbs up, but implementation becomes the question.