MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Tacoma to look into possibility of reusing shipping containers to house homeless

Jun 11, 2021, 5:10 AM

Shipping containers...

A shipping container repurposed into a living space by Shelterkraft. (Photo courtesy of Shelterkraft)

(Photo courtesy of Shelterkraft)

The Tacoma City Council approved a resolution this week, directing its planning commission to begin looking into the possibility of repurposing old shipping containers to use as shelter spaces for the city’s homeless population.

Tacoma program is paying homeless to clean up trash and debris

Tacoma’s existing land laws prohibit the use of shipping containers as accessory buildings in any residential, commercial, or mixed-use zoning districts. The hope with the resolution is to discover  whether it would be feasible to change those rules to allow for certain exceptions, and then determine whether there’s a way to adequately convert enough containers to housing units to make an impact on Tacoma’s ongoing housing shortage.

As Tacoma Councilmember Kristina Walker noted during Tuesday’s session, this wouldn’t be viewed as a solution to the city’s homeless crisis. Rather, it would potentially exist as a supplementary housing option to strengthen the city’s larger response efforts.

“It is not going to solve our housing crisis, but it is one more tool in the toolbox,” Walker said.

“It’s not the solution, but it might be one of the creative ways we can start addressing housing shortages,” Councilmember Lillian Hunter agreed.

Alliance hopes to force Seattle to take action on homelessness

Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards voiced her support for the resolution as well, stating that she believes “the reuse and repurposing of shipping containers can be really great for a community, if done correctly.”

It’s unclear at this point what this plan would look like in practice, although that will largely be up to the council’s planning commission to determine in the days and weeks to come.

Cities like Los Angeles have found relative success over the last year in standing up repurposed shipping containers as housing options for homeless residents. Proponents cite how using the containers can reduce the amount of time it typically takes to build shelter spaces, while reducing the impact to the area given that they’re freestanding.

MyNorthwest News

Photo: Lewis and Clark High School students thought quickly to save their track coach's life....

Julia Dallas

Spokane high school students save track coach’s life after his heart stops

Two Spokane high school students used their quick thinking and past training to save their track coach's life last week.

1 hour ago

Image: Brightly colored eggs are set on a table on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington,...

Ted Buehner

Expect good Easter weekend weather for egg hunts, chilly evening Mariners games

Both Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend will feature temperatures warming to around 60 degrees across much of Western Washington.

13 hours ago

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22, 20...

Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

Seattle tourism dollars break records following All-Star Week, Taylor Swift

It was a record-setting year for dollars flowing into Seattle from tourists.

14 hours ago

Image: A bridge in Carnation....

Julia Dallas

Carnation frustrated with Seattle again after 8th false emergency alarm induces widespread panic

Carnation citizens have faced a series of panic-inducing alarms after SPU's system for the Tolt Dam falsely sounded eight times.

16 hours ago

Grocery store shopper...

Bill Kaczaraba

Ways to deal with Seattle grocery store sticker shock

Seattle grocery store sticker shock continues to play havoc on locals, but there are ways to counter high prices.

16 hours ago

belltown hellcat social media...

Frank Sumrall

Infamous ‘Belltown Hellcat’ social media influencer charged with reckless driving

The social media influencer has been accused of driving 107 miles per hour through Belltown in a Dodge Hellcat.

17 hours ago

Tacoma to look into possibility of reusing shipping containers to house homeless