Shipping container homes a possible solution for the housing crisis

Having to live a minimal life might not be for everyone but it's a housing solution that is picking up around the world, not least in Launceston.

Germaine Aalis, who's recently moved into a shipping container home in Launceston's leafy suburb of Trevallyn always had a fascination with tiny homes

When her living situation changed she decided that she needed a more affordable setup.

"I was ready to live a more simpler existence in a small space," she said.

She was fascinated with the idea of using a shipping container and "repurposing something that is obviously not at all homely, and not at all snug and making it into a home".

Her home is built out of 2 x 20 feet containers. It has one bedroom with wardrobe space and a bathroom, a kitchenette and a deck area.

Ms Aalis is a longtime resident of Trevallyn and loves the suburb. Choosing a tiny home was one of the ways she could live affordably in a pricey suburb without a "horrendous mortgage".

"Financial security is vital to my mental health and in our current climate having a tiny home has given me freedom and safety without the worry of a high mortgage and living expenses."

It's also a more environmentally conscious option. Having a small home is energy efficient and helps her to reduce waste, she said.

It's also very time efficient and she's able to clean her whole home "top to bottom" in an hour.

Her home was built by Jason Zadow, founder of Tiny Homes Tasmania who's been creating shipping container homes for the last six years and says they're growing in popularity.

Mr Zadow, who studied architecture at university, first heard of shipping container homes being built in the States and Canada over 15 years ago.

He'd bought a shipping container himself and wanted to experiment with turning it into a liveable unit. It was a success and he eventually sold it.

He kept building shipping container homes on the side until it finally became his main business. He now builds 30 shipping container homes a year.

Mr Zadow said that his interest in shipping container homes coincided with the growing housing crisis.

"People are finding it very difficult to obviously find somewhere to live, somewhere to rent. There isn't houses available, and certainly not at a price that they can afford."

Part of his mission is to fill in some of those gaps for people that are missing out.

Many of his homes are "ancillary dwellings" which are can be put into people's backyards next to their main dwelling. These might be teenage retreats or granny flats. Others are building shipping container homes to rent out as airbnbs.

But some of his clients like Ms Aalis are also keen to use shipping containers as their primary home.

"They are probably the cheapest dwelling you can get," he said.

A recent planning application for a shipping container home in the nearby town of Evandale sparked debate within the community and Northern Midlands Council on whether shipping container homes fit in with the overall character of a location.

But Mr Zadow said that he'd never encountered any resistance from community members or local councils.

"If it's done properly, it should be a beautiful home, and it should be a lovely place to live," he said.

Opposing housing on the basis of aesthetic "is a poor attitude for the current climate of our housing market in Tasmania and anywhere else in Australia," Mr Zadow said.

"That actual structure can house somebody, it can give them protection, it can make them feel safe."

Ms Aalis, who shares her home with her dog Miley said her new home had "exceeded her expectations".

"Life is so simple. It's so easy to live in a small space. You have everything you need and nothing that you don't."

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