Shipping container housing could be a viable solution to the housing crisis. In Melbourne, there is a large, growing homeless population as private rented apartments are becoming far too expensive for people with the lowest incomes.
The average rent for a one bed roomed apartment in Melbourne is around AUD$2,000 a month. Developers in Australia are considering the cost and speed advantages of setting up shipping container homes instead of rental apartments.
Reasons of using shipping containers in Melbourne as affordable homes:
- Containers cost as little as AUD$2,500 for the box itself, while converting into a unit to be added to an apartment build costs much lesser than a brick and mortar home.
- Container homes can be built as high-density housing complexes and apartments with 2-3 six metre containers forming a single apartment with the latest facilities for small family needs.
- Shipping container homes in Melbourne are very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. They can be designed in factories, with doors, windows, insulation and the required facilities fitted before being dropped onto the desired location.
- Since container homes are built in factories, they aren’t as vulnerable to the bad weather (stormy weather or excessive heat) conditions during construction as during the construction of brick and mortar homes.
- Shipping container homes in Melbourne can be constructed very quickly, which simply reduces the overall construction costs.
- From breaking the ground to having a comfortable home on the site, it can take as little as three months as compared to the brick and mortar home taking a minimum of 6 months or so.