We have office buildings occupied from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM... and we have homeless people. Why not design office space to provide inexpensive housing?
All that's needed is a mutual lock-up capacity. In your typical cubby, the desk has a metal roll-top cover that protects the workspace (including any computer, etc) when the office worker is away. Any drawers and bookshelves are lockable. The latter is already standard; the roll-top is new. Trying to force open any locked office space would set off the alarm and bring security running.
For the homeless person, we have a couple lockable storage lockers tucked under the cubby desk, out of the way of the office worker's feet, for keeping the homeless person's change of clothes, favorite books, etc. (they don't have much). Contained therein is one of those self-inflating beds. Roll the chair into the corridor and inflate the bed. A curtain provides a modicum of privacy.
Why would anyone do so?
The company could claim a charitable deduction based on the value of the sleeping space as rental housing. Instead of that unused space being ... unused, it's a tax deduction.
Organizations like churches could be involved in night-time supervision, to prevent gross damage (breaking into the candy machine). They would participate for the usual good reasons, including reaching out to those in need of churching. Could be combined with halfway-house style counseling for people with substance abuse problems.
When XYZ Corp enrolls, someone (government? church?) pays for the creation of shower facilities, that the employees can use after going running too. Laundry appliances could be shared by the office staff and homeless, too.
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I don't think companies would want strangers in their offices, regardless of the precautions put in place, which in any case would increase the cost and hence diminish the value of this concept. As a slight modification of your idea though, why not allow the employees themselves use the office as a home. It is quite possible that someone single, fresh out of college, and still paying back his school loans, would be willing to take a slight cut in salary if it could save him far more in rent.
I still don't see the idea working out aside from certain special situations, but I can see some companies liking the fact that if their employee has a great idea in the middle of the night or over the weekend, he would able to readily access his work space and run with it.
In response to Curious Cat: Have a part of the office setup as a dormitory, whete they strictly live, or a suite set up like a college dorm (as I heard they are), with the common room set up as their office/living space. Or have each worker have a sleeping/living/working cubicle (have a bed above their desk, and a wardrobe closet in there somewhere), with a common bath, rec room and such.
This "concept" has been talked about before. It does not work. Any small office buildings and small business space is totally useless for a variety of reasons.
Office towers have other problems. Cleaning and repair crews work late at night or during the night - you cannot possibly have homeless people around then.
Security is another major concern, so is hygene. It would be cheaper for any corporation to donate a few Dollars and have designated residential buildings make space available for people in need.
Corporate leases would become so cumbersome in order to safeguard both landlords and other tenants in the buildings.
I have seen lobbies (only) being opened for the homeless during extreme cold nights or during extreme hot weather situations, but these are true exceptions. Gordon Max
I like classicsat idea (#2) of an in-office dorm space. Night owls could take advantage of having their work material at hand, "code bums" could have a nearby flophouse, etc. Why have all this office space go to waste during 2/3 of the day? Or at least let employees string up hammocks from the supply room once in a while--during snowstorms, for instance.
Having the employees around would probably increase security too, if they were well chosen.