Refugees rejoice, buy a new cardboard house now for $5,000!

Right now it’s difficult to find a mortgage, particularly for first time home buyers or those dislocated by a natural disaster. Given our changing climate it’s a safe bet to expect a rising trend line for the number of people losing their homes to a disgruntled mother nature. But, if you’ve lost your home and need a place to stay, Swiss company The Wall AG is here to help with a cardboard house that retails for just $5,000. Most anyone can get a loan for that much, right?

Or, maybe not, depending on how destroyed an area is after a natural disaster. The Wall AG uses recycled cellulose coated with resin, a process similar to what’s used with some aircrafts and yachts. Cellulose is recovered from recycled cardboard and formed into honeycomb shapes, which are then subjected to heat and pressure.

A luxury like running water is even possible, according to Times Online:

The house has eight built-in single and double beds and a veranda with a sealed-off area housing a shower and a lavatory.

That doesn’t make for much privacy but when you’re focused on survival, things like that are pointless. Some oil developers in Nigeria and Angola are interested and 2,000 of the houses are already on order. Obviously The Wall AG has hit on a demand for temporary living space, and is poised to profit from the changing weather patterns. Even better, the company is creating success in a green way by using recycled materials as the primary component in its product.

This sort of housing provides an alternative for those living in lean-tos and corrugated sheds, and it has the potential to create a different sort of community. One that shadows healthy communities consisting of regular houses with happy people. It has the potential to create some sense of normalcy in desperate times for refugees and the homeless.