Shipping containers transform into emergency housing for the homeless in London

As more and more cities move away from criminalizing homelessness and toward “housing first” policies, they must inevitably address a major issue: where do those homes come from? While Portland is experimenting with backyard tiny homes, London’s Ealing borough has turned to tricked out shipping containers.

The Ealing Council teamed up with shipping-container housing companies CargoTek and ISO Spaces, and developer QED to build a modern, modular apartment complex for emergency housing. The Marston Court container structures take over previously vacant land with disintegrating garages, offering instead 34 apartments capable of housing up to 72 people. The homes were outfitted with movable and reusable interior elements, and come fully furnished. The shipping-container complex also includes an on-site laundry room, management office, and a landscaped playground.

These units might seem fairly bare bones in terms of finishes and style, but they’re certainly fancier than another of the city’s new affordable housing concepts—the “naked” home. Which would you prefer?

Via: Inhabitat