San Diego's First Shipping Container Homes Could Open by April

The San Diego Union Tribune reports the city’s first housing project made from old shipping containers could open this coming April. The project is planned to occupy a vacant lot in Logan Heights and aims to provide 21 formerly homeless veterans with homes. Although this particular project only helps roughly 20 people, it serves as a new affordable housing example for the area. If other local developers follow the lead of Makana Properties, it could mean thousands of more units and fewer homeless people on the city’s streets.

While the project would be a first for San Diego County, two similar projects exist in Southern California. In South Los Angeles, Flyaway Homes recently completed a nine-unit complex that uses shipping containers. In Orange County, Potters Lane by American Family Housing used shipping containers for a 16-unit project.

In San Diego, each 320-square-foot unit would have its own patio, kitchen and bathroom. While the units will be built from metal shipping containers, they will be insulated and have interior drywalls.