Shipping container shelters planned for southwest Phoenix

In a desperate attempt to address homelessness, Phoenix will spend $5.5 million to house 76 people in shipping containers—that’s over $72,000 per person, if you’re counting—on a parcel of city land. The 40-foot containers will have heat and air conditioning, and will be part of a larger shelter site. We’re just saying, with average rent in Phoenix at roughly $1,300 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, that would pay for about four-and-a-half years of actual housing—possibly enough time for someone to get on their feet and start paying their own rent.