Mar 22, 2009: EDAR

[xoxoxoBruce]

EDAR stands for "Everyone Deserves a Roof"
It's a cross between a shopping cart and a pop-up camper.

The EDAR is the brainchild of Peter Samuelson, a philanthropist and film producer whose credits include "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Arlington Road." His father, Sydney, founded Samuelson Film Service, a supplier of film and TV equipment, and in 1995 was knighted for his service to the British film industry.

Peter Samuelson went to Cambridge University on a full scholarship, earned a master's degree in English literature and became fluent in French. He started in the film business as an interpreter for U.S. companies operating in Africa and Europe. In 1975, after living off and on in Los Angeles, he settled here permanently, married an accountant and had four children.

Samuelson is an old hand at charity;

In 1990, he brought together director Steven Spielberg and Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, among others, to create the Starbright Foundation, which develops software and other products to help children cope with the medical, emotional and social challenges of their illnesses. In 2004, Starlight and Starbright merged to become the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. Another Samuelson charity, First Star, advocates for abused and neglected children.

Here's Samuelson sitting on an EDAR, in a rather pristine setting.



He sponsored a design contest, had several sizes built, in variations that even have pockets for collected cans/bottles.
He had them tested for ruggedness, and critiqued by a bunch of experts and laymen, before settling on the final product.
He figures manufacturing them in large quantities will bring the cost under $500, so they could be used not only for street homeless, but around the world at refugee centers and for disaster relief.
A Los Angeles women's shelter is using them indoors for women with small children.

Here's an EDAR actually in use, in a more natural setting.



All is not sweetness and light, however... there are questions.

Meanwhile, lawyers are sorting out legal issues. Will municipal codes allow users to park their units anywhere? What about constitutional questions and not-in-my-backyard complaints?

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, said police fear the units could constitute dwellings where inhabitants would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. In that scenario, police would need warrants to search EDARs, which could become havens for drug use or prostitution. Chemerinsky maintains that cities could allow the units in designated public places as long as users consented to be searched, much like travelers entering an airport.

LA Times