Some shipping containers that once made a makeshift barrier along the Arizona-Mexico border are being converted into tiny homes for young people transitioning out of foster care after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey agreed in December 2022 to dismantle the wall, which was deemed dangerous and illegal.
Now, more than 2,000 containers removed from the border are available to government entities and nonprofits that can find uses for them, the state has said. The Arizona Department of Administration said any left by October will be available for public sale.
Bryan Benz, the founder and CEO of Wholistic Transformation, said he plans to build a community of seven tiny homes out of shipping containers that include a resident justice navigator on two adjoining lots belonging to the church next door.
"It's about restoring relationships, restoring community," Benz said at a recent event celebrating a newly purchased shipping container.
Benz said each tiny home will be a one-bedroom house, with a full kitchen, bathroom, and washer and dryer. The residents will choose what it will look like inside, from the style of cabinets to the color and fabric of the couch cushions.
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