Norman McGillivray was just two two years old when his father suffered a stroke that left him partially paralysed with impaired speech.

The Brisbane man's father lost his job, his marriage broke down and he wound up homeless on the streets of London, where he died aged 42.

Brisbane CBD's empty car parks to be turned into pop-up accommodation for homeless. Credit:Norman McGillivray/Beddown

Now McGillivray is hoping to stop others suffering the same fate with an ambitious plan to turn car parks in Brisbane's CBD - and eventually the rest of the country - into pop-up accommodation for homeless people.

“Hundreds of people die each year from sleeping rough from things like suicide, overdoses, pneumonia, infected wounds," he said.