LOW-COST TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS USING SHIPPING CONTAINERS
BACKGROUND: World Hunger Team is a 16-year-old non-profit based in Nashville, Tennessee. We create SYSTEMS to grow food where little to no food is currently grown, and SYSTEMS to collect and purify rainwater in areas where it is difficult or impossible to dig wells or bore holes. In 2015 we ventured into the world of homeless housing by designing a homeless compound made entirely out of shipping containers. And while several homeless organizations wanted the compound, we could not secure funding. Now, in 2025, we see a potentially huge opportunity to revisit the concept with a scaled-back approach. We see this as a business opportunity for both our organization and Steel + Stark (S+S).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The homeless crisis in America is growing daily, but most communities either can’t afford to provide housing for its citizens or have no desire to help them. There are many fine housing programs that are helping to alleviate the situation, but they are few and far between. Our premise is that the homeless people being served today represent about 20% of the true homeless population, and that the remaining 80% are receiving little to no attention. We see a huge opportunity in serving the ‘bottom 80%’ simply based on the numbers. Of course, high-end homeless shelters would be ideal for solving the issue, but will the grant and foundation money be available for such a large undertaking? Knowing what has happened to federal grants in the past 9 months, the prospects are very slim.
We propose creating a different type of homeless compound as a TEMPORARY answer to the overall grass-roots problem: lack of facilities to house significant portions of the homeless population. The differences in our solution are:
- SMALL COMPOUNDS servicing 4 to 40 homeless people per location.
- SINGLE-NIGHT STAY ONLY. Rather than treat the units as long-term shelter, we propose offering SINGLE-NIGHT stays only.
- WASHABLE CABINS. We propose to use acrylic panels – similar to the shell of a portable spa – to line the walls. This will allow the units to be literally hosed out in the morning and blow-dried with massive hot air fans.
- SEQUESTERED HOUSING. High chain link fences will divide the complex into four separate compounds accessible only with a correctly color-coded plastic key:
1) Single women – pink key
2) Single men – blue key
3) Families with children – green key
4) Couples – orange key - NO PLUMBING IN CABINS. There will be two containers in each compound, one with Toilets / Sinks / Showers and one with Laundry / Recreation.
- ONE MAIN COMMISSARY. All meals and social service will be provided in the main “check in” building.
RATIONALE:
- SINGLE-NIGHT: By making everyone “check out” in the morning, they can convene in the central processing / support service / commissary building where they can access social service providers to help them find housing, schooling for the children, job preparation, etc.
- WASHABLE CABINS: By making the cabins capable of being “hosed out” each morning, the facility will be able to house those in the greatest possible need: nowhere to sleep or bathe, currently living in the woods or behind dumpsters. Some of these people will be in very rough shape, dirty and smelly, and nobody wants to take them in. This system provides them with the housing they need while isolating them from other people and giving them back their dignity. There will be no furniture in the compartment, as the “bed” is simply a raised platform. The guest is given sheets and a foam mattress which can be removed and cleaned in the morning. The “desk” is also made of a plastic-covered wood platform, and the shelves are similarly made. The TV set hangs in the corner and is covered with a clear plastic box to prevent it from being damaged by vandalism or water.
- SEQUESTERED HOUSING: By sequestering the guests into 4 securely divided compounds, the male guests will have no access to the female guests and vice-versa. Families can stay together, and couples can stay together. This will reduce the cases of violence or sexual predators.
- NO PLUMBING IN CABINS: By having all the utility connections run to the toilet building and the laundry building, those will be the only buildings requiring water and sewer hook-up. One set of utility buildings could suffice for 4 or more housing containers. This will simplify production of the housing units and lower the overall cost of the compound.
OBSERVATIONS:
80/20 RULE. I’m a big believer in the “80/20” rule. I believe that 80% of the people who really need homeless housing are too proud to beg, so they never seek help. The 20% who DO get access to government funded temporary housing are probably the most capable and determined to succeed.
PORTABILITY. The key advantage to using shipping containers, obviously, is that they’re portable. If a city or a homeowners group demands that the compound be moved, it can easily and quickly be relocated. The target site will require access to water / sewer power, but other than that the shelters can be set up most anywhere.
CONCENTRATION OF SERVICES. Each of the four compounds can connect to the central building where meals are served and support services are provided. By having a central registration station, all the guests can be made to be entered into the system for future monitoring. By getting them into the HHS system, local care providers (typically non-profit organizations) can file for HUD funding to provide resources for each specific guest. Reporting is a big priority in securing funding for homeless relief programs.
ECONOMY. Keeping the plumbing out of the residential units will keep them relatively low in cost. There are existing designs for modular toilet blocks / laundry blocks, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel on these units.
FULLY-OPERATIONAL PROGRAM. WHT will provide plans for a fully operational homeless shelter program that can be modified to fit any local need, anywhere in the United States. The system will be scalable so a compound could house as few as 4 people up to dozens if not hundreds of people.
LOCAL VENDORS handle all aspects of container retrofit, and all construction and installation. The build-out can be handled by a national contractor, with the containers shipped to the site and assembled by a local contractor.
WHT handles the “soft” aspects of the program including grant writing for the participating non-profit or community organization, promotion / PR, operating manuals, website, operating system, interface with HUD & HHS funding systems, HR processing, supplies, reporting, etc.
ELEVATOR PITCH TO CITIES: This new arrangement makes it PUSH-BUTTON SIMPLE to establish a homeless compound in your community. We work exclusively with existing non-profit organizations or community groups that want to operate and manage the compound. The city selects and funds the cost of running water / sewer / electricity to the site. Government grants and/or private funding will be secured to handle the cost of setting up and operating the facility. Existing government counseling and support services will be housed on the site to provide hands-on education, training and counseling to the homeless. The goal is to get the homeless back on their feet in a stable situation that will return them to self-sufficiency.