San Diego Is Planning to House Homeless People Using Shipping Containers

A non-profit is turning shipping containers into housing for the homeless in San Diego, costing $23.3 million.

The People Assisting the Homeless project will comprise of 41 apartments to start off, as well as a health clinic and retail space.

The City Council President, Sean Elo-Rivera, visited the site last week, saying the "innovative" use of the containers will mean homes will become available faster than traditional construction.

The councilmember told the San Diego Union-Tribune that projects like this to address housing problems often don't get very far.

“This is why we’re at where we’re at,” he told the paper. “We’ve waited too long for a panacea or a silver bullet. It’s not coming.”

The cost sounds high, but it's offset by the speed at which the project can be completed, Elo-Rivera said.

Containers come pre-fitted with insulation, drywall, cupboards, sinks, toilets and a bath.

"The apartments are grouped around interior spaces that will provide spaces for engagement and play," builder Crate Modular says on its website. "Amenities include a dog park, gardens and a children’s play area."

At last count, around 1,723 people were registered as homeless in downtown San Diego.

The city announced on June 12 that it would be opening up more than 40 rooms for families at a former hotel, as well as up to 536 camping spaces for people to use.

However longer-term solutions are needed and this project is seen as one of them.

“We need more housing solutions, and we need more affordable options,” PATH CEO Jennifer Hark Dietz told the Union-Tribune.

This scheme started construction in December and is expected to wrap up before the end of the year.

Phase two would include 131 extra units but it's unclear when that might happen.