Business converts shipping containers into housing | cbs19.tv

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TYLER, Texas — Rent prices are climbing along with everything else, thanks to inflation. That's why an East Texas family is getting creative drawing up plans for new, affordable housing.

Dee Hanks is the co-owner of Hanks Properties. He tells CBS19, "I can't think of a place in America that doesn't need something like this."

Dee and his three sons have a vision. They are turning recycled shipping containers into affordable housing.

"At some point when you're first starting out you don't have $1,200 or $1500 a month or more to try to rent something to have a place to lay your head at night," explains Dee.

"The tenants either have to sale an arm or a leg to be able to afford it and it puts them in a position where they're one paycheck away from the house of cards folding," adds Collin Hanks, Co-Owner of Hanks Properties.

A recent report by TexasHousers.org found there are 900,000 extremely low income renter households in Texas. This equates to more than a fifth of all renter households in the state.

The city of Tyler's housing advocate thinks the reconfigured boxes of steel are worth considering.

"If a family can find something that's suitable from a cost perspective I think it would be great to jump on that opportunity," Prentice Butler, Neighborhood Services Housing Manager for the city of Tyler said. "It is smaller but again its not something you're looking at permanent especially if your family expands its something you definitely want to look at transitioning from. In the meantime it kind of stops the bleed."

The Hanks family gave us a tour of one of their shipping container homes. Inside you’ll find all the comforts of home on a smaller scale.

"Tiny homes and minimal living that's kind of the trendy thing now and I think its trendy out of necessity," Collin explained.

It's about a 5 day process from the build until its move in ready.

"This is just a great cost efficient solution to lower rent that's just is not possible with conventional construction. I mean it just doesn't exist," Dee said.

Collin says they offer four different designs: a duplex, luxury duplex, one bedroom and two bedroom floor options. A 40 foot container provides 320 square feet of living space.

"I'd love to scale it nationwide. Our factory down in McAllen, Texas is making close to one complete house a day," explains Collin.

This concept has been in the development stages for more than a year and it didn't take long to generate interest in several states including California, Maine and Florida.

"There's a lot of different applications for these that we're seeing nationwide and as this gets bigger and bigger we're realizing we're going to have to ramp up production pretty quickly," adds Collin.

There are now three shipping container homes near Lake Palestine being rented out with all bills paid for as low as $700 per month.

Plans are underway to also build in Troup.

"The longevity on these should be really really good with very little repair or upkeep costs," explains Dee.

In order to entice future tenants, the Hanks family is eliminating the traditional six and 12 month leases. Instead offering month to month to those who are strapped for cash.

"Putting together a new management model for these container homes because we noticed the traditional credit check applications, background checks, is eliminating who needs this the most," said Collin.

Thinking outside the box while changing the landscape for a community in need.

If you would like more information on container homes, click here.

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