Need Cheap Housing Ideas

I just made contact with a lady who wants to organize a shelter for feral and homeless animals. Our small town doesn't even have animal control...just one guy who will shoot a rabid animal, wild or domestic. The homeless just wander in search of food and shelter.

We may be able to solicit a few donations of materials and/or food, but we need ideas on housing the animals as economically as possible.
We have extreme heat in summer to consider, and no buildings to work with. Ideas???

Appreciate your ideas...and it is cheap enough to try. My only concern is that in our heat it may be too hot in the summertime...and right now there is no fence or cage or anything. We want good ventilation for summer, but adequate protection in winter...that's tough without a fenced area or building to work with.

I really like the idea of soliciting the damaged bags...I hadn't even thought about that!

Nintho - sounds like a wonderful plan! I wish you all the luck in the world!! I used the styrofoam cooler idea here when Goldie was wandering outside. The are good with hay, but the plastic do lost a lot longer!

Anyone have an old barn that could be converted? Walmart, etc might help with the plastic bins? Please keep us posted on your progress.
How many kits are we talking about here, any idea?

I have no idea of how many there will be...this lady has been housing about 12 dogs to date, but she says she has no facilities for cats or kittens...that's why I think I need to be involved....

It is a small town, less than 3,000 people, so who knows how many animals are uncared for. The town is near several lakes, which means weekenders particularly during summer months...sometimes their babies get lost and the family goes home without them...it would be nice to have a place for them to check with to see if their animal turned up and it would be nice to have a place that can keep the animal until they come back, usually the next weekend....

Go to this page of the Alley Cat Allies web site for easy instructions on building a shelter for ferals. You might also search their site for lots of information about caring for feral colonies.

http://www.alleycat.org/ic_fs_shelter.html

I just wanted to say that was a great suggestion that SusieQ made about the rubbermaid containers. I think that would work wonderfully and would be pretty cheap. Also the idea about other places donating damanged bags of food is great. I worked at a place once that would just throw it away if it was opened or ripped.....it sure could go to good use for you!

Trust me, and nintho, the rubbermaid boxes would NOT work here in North Texas. No ventilation, sitting in 100 degree shade, and you would have fried kitties before noon. Also, the kitties would have to have room to move around, and I haven't seen a rubbermaid container that big. They would probably work just fine as a house in a cooler climate, but I can't see them working as an enclosure in a hot climate.

Nintho, would someone be willing to donate enough material for a chain-link fence? I've seen some animal enclosures that are like a five-sided fence - with a lid so they can't jump out. If it were close to adequate shade it should work great, even in summer.

The AlleyCat Allies is a great website and I really appreciate the link!