It’s a challenge often overshadowed by the more pressing concerns of homelessness: where to store your belongings.

But since 2016, a group in western Canada has been designing a prototype vehicle aimed at offering those who live on the streets a better alternative to shopping carts when it comes to transporting their worldly goods.

“Part of the reality of being homeless is that you need somewhere to put your goods,” said Devon Siebenga of Metro Community, the church in Kelowna behind the initiative. “A lot of our people spend most of their days worrying about, or trying to take care of, or tracking down their stuff.”

For many, shopping carts have become a tool to meet this need – but one that is far from ideal.

“The problem is that the shopping cart is obviously not their own property and so there’s a huge amount of anxiety that floats over them as they go through their days,” said Siebenga. The shopping carts can be seized by police at any point, forcing some to decide between paying hefty fines to retrieve their belongings or simply forsaking them. “It’s this constant wonder, am I going to be walking down the street with all my stuff and all of a sudden it gets taken?”

So around two years ago, the church began asking if there might be a better option. Their quest took them to the Kelowna campus of the University of British Columbia, where engineering staff and students eagerly signed on to the challenge. Representatives from the city and police soon also joined in.

Input on the design came from those with experience of living on the streets; they wanted something they could own and use legally, that would protect their belongings come rain or shine and which could travel long distances easily.

The cart also had to be light enough to manoeuvre through city streets. “It doesn’t need to be able to go 4x4ing, but it should be able to go through snow, go over curves and gravel and some mushy terrain,” said Siebenga.

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The first prototype was delivered in May. Made of plywood and specially designed composites, the cart is equipped with handbrakes, shelving and locks, meaning users can park the carts without worry when they head inside for appointments or a meal.

Amid Canada’s housing crisis, to live in a coffee shop isn't all that unusual Read more

The design has already been through several iterations and will likely go through many more, said engineer Bryn Crawford. “Even this first model is significantly different and a bit heavier than the next few we’ve got on the go.”

Four more prototypes are expected to be delivered in the coming weeks. Each will be handed over to those living on the streets with the goal of collecting feedback to refine the cart into a product that could potentially one day be commercialised. “This isn’t simply a Kelowna problem,” said Siebenga. “In some ways it’s a global opportunity.”

He was careful to stress the limits of the initiative. “It’s not going to replace housing or keep people off the streets.”

Instead the hope is that the carts will allow people to fret less over the security of their belongings, giving them space to focus on recovery, safety and housing, he said. “This provides a dignified alternative while they seek to get their lives back on track.”

This article is part of a series on possible solutions to some of the world’s most stubborn problems. What else should we cover? Email us at theupside@theguardian.com