‘Hotel’ enables customers to experience homelessness, while donating to charity

The Faktum Hotels campaign is encouraging those with a roof over their head to trade places with rough sleepers by booking a night in popular spots used by the homeless.

India-based mattress supplier Springwel’s Sleep Exchange campaign recently raised awareness of the problem of homelessness in the country, by offering discounts only to those customers donating their old mattresses to shelters. Now Swedish charity magazine Faktum has created Faktum Hotels, which encourages those with a roof over their head to trade places with rough sleepers by booking a night in popular spots used by the homeless. The magazine – which is created and sold by those with no fixed abode – teamed up with media agency Forsman & Bodenfors to create a microsite for the campaign, which lets visitors ‘book’ one of ten places where homeless people might spend the night. For instance, customers can select an abandoned factory or a ledge under a bridge. Whether they actually choose to go through with staying at the spot is up to them, but the SEK 100 fee is used by Faktum to continue its work in supporting vulnerable people in the country. Users can also book a space for their friends, which can be gifted via Facebook. The following video explains more about the ‘hotel’: The campaign raises awareness and encourages donations that help alleviate homelessness, while also providing the possibility for customers to experience the trials rough sleepers face. Are there other innovative ways to engage people with social issues? Spotted by: Murray Orange