Could shipping containers be used to house the homeless?

With a staggering number of homeless people around the world it is vital that we find
a sustainable housing solution. There is a myriad of reasons that can cause people
to be left without a home, from poverty and unemployment, to natural disasters like
earthquakes and floods.

Homeless people are a part of our society that we all too often overlook and turn a
blind eye to. More than 100,000 individuals are homeless in Australia and scarily this
number is only growing. It is evident there is a homeless crisis in this country that
needs to be addressed urgently.

Television shows like SBS’s Filthy, Rich and Homeless have helped to put the issue
of homelessness in Australia into the spotlight and spark an important conversation.
The series exploration of homelessness helped to break down myths and
misconceptions by showing what it can really be like for people roughing it on the
streets or staying in crisis accommodation.

An attainable housing solution

It’s a sad state of affairs that there just aren’t enough shelters to accommodate every
homeless individual. Even if it were the case of there being sufficient beds, it would
only be a temporary fix, rather than a sustainable long-term solution. Shipping
container could quite possibly be the answer to this colossal problem.

There are examples where they are already being utilised to combat homelessness
in the UK cities Bristol, Brighton, London and Cardiff. In Bristol a group of social
entrepreneurs started a project with the goal to provide accommodation for homeless
people for a whole year. They successfully transformed the containers into liveable

spaces, featuring a kitchen, bathroom, lounge and bedroom. A number of local
businesses got onboard with the project to help with different areas like electricity
and development. Individuals being accommodated also had opportunities to
develop skills through assisting with the creation of additional container homes.

Putting a roof over the heads of people in need

Life without a home can be terrifying, every day is a struggle for basic necessitates
such as food and water. Shipping containers provide safe shelter to homeless
people in a way that other types of dwellings, including tents and boarding houses
can’t. They are structurally sound, durable, reasonably spacious and able to be
converted fairly quickly. With millions of shipping containers sitting unused after
competing their journeys overseas, recycling for the purpose of housing is fantastic
from an environmental sustainability perspective.

The team at CBOX Containers would love to see our shipping containers put to more
uses, especially if they can be part of the solution to the complex problem that is
homelessness.

"