Pros of a Shipping Container Shelter Home Over Other Shelters

For many years, people across the US have been looking for solutions to the ongoing homelessness crisis. Among the possible solutions, a shipping container shelter home emerged as potentially the most viable and practical solution.

While other shelter types like emergency and transitional shelters are popular, they are not permanent solutions. The whole point of addressing homelessness is giving the homeless an actual livable home, and temporary solutions are not enough.

To solve homelessness, a shipping container shelter home arrives as a cheap, durable, and permanent solution. Since the home has all the benefits of regular container homes, it’s important to know how it can help the homeless.

Brief Outlook on Homelessness in the US

A person who needs a shipping container home shelter
A person who needs a shipping container home shelter

Although homelessness has existed in the US for decades, many experts predict that it will continue to increase in upcoming years. How can that be?

According to their findings, experts point out increasing home prices, zoning laws, and rising rent prices, among all, to be the driving causes behind the rampant homelessness problem. Other causes include poverty, sudden loss of means to pay rent and lack of new housing.

Even though there are homeless people in every state, some states have more than others. Over the years, California, New York, Washington, Florida, and Massachusetts have been known as the states with the highest homeless populations.

Considering the number of these states’ major cities and how expensive housing can be there, it becomes obvious how homelessness is more apparent there.

Thus, many institutions have developed solutions to help the homeless find a new home. Across the states above, numerous home shelter institutions are available to address the homeless problem in their areas.

Family, women, and religious shelters are some of the most popular homeless shelter types. Intended for different demographics, these shelters use their different housing work frames to help everyone find homes based on their ongoing conditions.

Benefits of Container Home Shelters

A family resting in a comfortable home
A family resting in a comfortable home

When building homes for the homeless, institutions commonly build mutual-use facilities to house as many people as possible. While great in housing so many people, other homeless persons might prefer individual homes for themselves or their families.

This is where a shipping container home shelter comes in. Being a well-rounded housing solution for the homeless, the home has several benefits that can solve problems commonly related to homelessness.

If you happen to work in a homeless shelter institution, understand these benefits that can help you house the homeless more efficiently:

Cost-Effective Compared to Traditional Housing

Let’s face it – building homes is expensive. Constructing a standard low-income apartment complex can cost anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000 per unit. On the other hand, building a shipping container home shelter can cost between $10,000 to $50,000, depending on size and amenities.

That’s a huge cost difference! With the same budget needed to build 100 traditional housing units, cities could create 500 to 1,000 shipping container homes. As a result, the homeless can have new homes faster.

Plus, traditional shelters and public housing projects come with ongoing maintenance costs that strain city budgets. Since shipping containers are corrosion-resistant steel-based, they need far less upkeep over time and can save money in the long run.

Fast to Build and Deploy

Homelessness is an urgent problem, and people need shelter now, not in five years when a new affordable housing project is finally completed.

With traditional construction, bureaucracy, zoning issues, and long build times can bog down the process. On the other hand, builders like Tradecorp can deliver a shipping container home shelter in just a few weeks or months.

Some pre-fabricated container housing solutions come ready to move in with insulation, plumbing, and electricity. This means cities can set up entire communities more quickly than with traditional homes.

Durable and Weather-Resistant

Unlike tents, wooden tiny homes, or traditional shelters, shipping containers can last decades. Naturally, shipping containers are wind-resistant, waterproof, fireproof, and pest-proof to protect their precious cargo.

Because of that, any modular home that takes inspiration from shipping containers in its construction can guarantee its owner’s safety.

Portable and Scalable

One major issue with homelessness is that people often need flexibility when moving for a job opportunity, avoiding extreme weather, or finding better support services. 

Unlike traditional shelters that are permanently fixed in one spot, homeless institutions can move a container home shelter to a new location if needed.

Cities can also scale up or down based on demand. If a community needs more housing, they can arrange for more container home shelters. If demand decreases, they can move the container home shelters to other areas in need.

More Privacy and Dignity

One of the biggest complaints about traditional homeless shelters is the lack of privacy. Many people avoid shelters because they feel unsafe sleeping in a crowded space or don’t want to follow rigid rules (like curfews or forced religious services).

Shipping container homes offer individual living spaces, allowing residents to have their own private, lockable units. This setup gives the homeless people dignity, security, and autonomy important in regaining their lives back.

Eco-Friendly and Sustainable

Building a modular container home shelter can save around 3,5 tons of steel, which is important for building regular homes. In turn, you can reduce the carbon footprint commonly associated with regular cement-and-brick homes.

Furthermore, you can prevent an 8,000kg buildup of CO2 that results from constructing and using a regular home. As more home builders commit further to environmental preservation goals, using a modular container home shelter can help cities abide by these goals.

Easier to Zone and Approve

Traditional housing projects often face rejection from NIMBY (“Not In My Backyard”) attitudes that slow down progress. Many neighborhoods fight against homeless shelters, arguing that they will lower property values or increase crime.

However, a shipping container home shelter is a more aesthetically pleasing alternative to a sprawling tent encampment. Many cities are already adjusting zoning laws to allow for container housing projects, making it easier to get approval.

Plus, because container homes are modular, cities can place them in vacant lots and unused parking areas without massive new infrastructure.

Can Be Customized for Different Needs

Not every homeless person has the same needs. Some are single individuals looking for a small private unit, while families need a multi-room setup.

Shipping container homes are modular, meaning they can become single-unit shelters, multi-room family units, and accessible housing for people with disabilities. Cities can design container housing solutions that fit specific community needs thanks to such versatility.

Encourages Stability and Independence

When people are given safe, private, and stable housing, they have a much better chance of escaping homelessness permanently.

With a private shipping container home shelter, people can store personal belongings safely and improve their mental and physical health.

Studies show that housing-first initiatives, where people are given stable shelter before addressing other issues like addiction or unemployment, have much higher success rates than forcing people into transitional shelters.

Proven Success in U.S. Cities

Several cities have already started using shipping container homes to combat homelessness with great success.

  • Los Angeles’ The Hilda L. Solis Care First Village became famous in recent years thanks to its ability to house at least 232 homeless persons.
  • Atlanta’s “The Melody,” first unveiled in early 2024, serves as the model for container home shelters for the homeless in the city.

As more cities see the benefits of container housing, this trend is only going to grow.

Conclusion

With all the benefits of a shipping container home shelter, city governments and institutions should use it more as a solution for the homelessness issue across the country. However, they should only get the most trusted convertible containers and modular homes from trusted builders like Tradecorp to give the homeless the best homes they need. By contacting Tradecorp via its quote form, the company can help city councils and institutions procure the best container solutions around.

shipping containers for sale, storage containers for sale