As a creative solution to address the skyrocketing housing shortage, Newark recently launched an innovative pilot program that involves transforming shipping containers into living spaces. This March will mark the opening of their second container complex consisting of 22 steel boxes that when combined, create one large administrative office and provide much-needed shelter for 20 homeless residents. In his role as Newark’s homelessness czar, Luis Ulerio announced the city had chosen to use containers for construction due to its cost-effectiveness.... The complex comprises nineteen units. According to Ulerio, “I always tell folks that the containers are only the material, right? What we’re really providing are dignity, space, and security, right?” He went on further to say that this project offers that to individuals. With the rising demand for housing and escalating real estate prices, many cities have found themselves in a quandary on how to accommodate their homeless populations. Fortunately, they’ve discovered that shipping containers are an economical alternative to constructing traditional buildings – at only a fraction of the cost! Ulerio and John Glavin, president of Custom Containers 915 in El Paso, Texas declared that these metal boxes are reasonably inexpensive to retrofit quickly for the city of Newark. These containers measure about 40 feet long and 8 feet wide – much more cost-effective than building a brand-new structure from scratch.

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