Shipping containers are put in place along the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County.
Arizona is trying to sell more than 2,000 shipping containers that came from former Gov. Doug Ducey’s temporary $200 million border wall project.
Tucson City Council Member Steve Kozachik wants to see Tucson make changes to building and zoning code, facilitate permitting and reduce parking requirements to allow for crates to be used as tiny homes in the city’s effort to create more affordable housing.
“The containers are available. They’re being marketed by the state. We have companies that are out buying them, setting them aside and waiting for us to get some of our code changes into place so they can get into this market and start putting people into homes,” Kozachik says.
While a typical unit is 320 square feet, they can also be used together and even stacked to form larger and multistory spaces, he says.
“You’re not just simply locked to the 320 square feet and, boom, that’s all you can do,” he said. “But the 320 square unit is a perfectly suitable living space, and they are trickin’ these things out with kitchens and with restrooms and there’s electricity and all of the amenities that you need.”
The state is selling containers for $500 to $2,000 a piece depending on the size and condition. The conditions vary but all the containers are heavily used and most have very noticeable dents and cracks.
The city is exploring options and would be interested in purchasing crates if the price and condition are right.
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