Seeing homelessness as something that can be solved with the help of Modular Home shelters alone is a naïve and limited perspective that doesn’t take all factors into account. Schwend and Cluskey, both health educators at Bradley University, understand the importance of taking into account the whole individual, rather than just the part. The SAGE Open study cited above also notes the following: “Services for the homeless population must provide interdisciplinary interventions including supportive housing, which facilitates social reintegration, assistance with obtaining employment or vocational training, and the provision of comprehensive health care services.” Any successful effort to reduce chronic homelessness in a given population requires this type of multi-pronged approach.

The burgeoning tiny house and community-centered movement in homeless populations is proof of this. There are a number of tiny house enclaves springing up around the United States that address this need for a comprehensive approach. One such tiny house community that is doing this is Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ Community First! Village, located in Austin, Texas. This community-based project incorporates flexible housing with a community garden, mental health support services, and access to Wi-Fi, kitchens, nature trails, etc. A more comprehensive approach like this one takes the complicated nature of re-entry into society into account, which dramatically increases the chances of eventual self-sufficiency.

So you’ve built your container home and you’re ready to move in. But wait – have you built it to code? Did you pull the proper permits? Did you utilize proven fabrication techniques? Did you check with your insurance company to ensure that it’s even insurable? These are all important questions to ask before you get too far down the road when it comes to your container dream home.

Do you think that all of the cool shipping container houses you see on the internet have gone through these rigors? Maybe. But probably not.

We admit it – the shipping container Mobile Toilet you see on the internet these days are pretty fantastic. We love that containers are being used for so many different things. We just encourage that when you do build your container Mobile Toilet, you do it right.