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GZ Flat Packed Container House Finished.
2024-10-11
       TYLER, Texas — Inflation is causing rental prices to rise along with everything else. That's why one East Texas family is getting creative with its new affordable housing plan.
       Dee Hanks is co-owner of Hanks Properties. “I can’t think of a place in America that doesn’t need something like this,” he told CBS19.
       Dee and his three sons had a vision. They turn recycled shipping containers into affordable housing.
       "When you first start a business, you probably don't have $1,200 or $1,500 or more a month to rent something to sleep on at night," Dee explains.
       Colin Hanks, co-owner of Hanks Properties, added: "Tenants will either have to sell an arm or a leg to afford it, leaving them just one paycheck away from collapsing their house of cards."
       A recent report from TexasHousers.org found that there are 900,000 extremely low-income renter households in Texas. That equates to more than one-fifth of all renter households in the state.
       "If a family can find a home that's cost-effective, I think it would be great to take advantage of the opportunity," said Prentice Butler, housing manager for the city of Tyler. “Although it is smaller, it is not. something you want to keep forever, especially as your family grows, and you definitely want to consider giving it up. In the meantime, this may stop the bleeding.”
       The Hanks family took us on a tour of one of their shipping container homes. Inside you will find all the comforts of home on a smaller scale.
       “Tiny houses and minimalist living are very popular right now, and I think it’s popular out of necessity,” Colin explains.
       “It’s just a very cost-effective solution to reduce rents that wouldn’t be possible with traditional construction. I mean, it just doesn’t exist,” Dee said.
       Colin said they offer four different designs: duplex, luxury duplex, one-bedroom and two-bedroom options. A 40-foot shipping container provides 320 square feet of living space.
       “I would love to do this on a national level. Our factory in McAllen, Texas can produce almost an entire house a day,” explains Colin.
       The concept was in development for more than a year and soon attracted interest from several states, including California, Maine and Florida.
       “We saw a lot of different applications around the country, and as more and more of them came in, we realized we needed to ramp up production very quickly,” Colin added.
       There are now three container homes for rent near Lake Palestine, with bills starting at just $700 a month.
       “These products must have a very long service life and very low repair or maintenance costs,” Dee explains.
       To attract future tenants, the Hanks family is eliminating traditional six- and 12-month leases. Instead, services are offered every month to those who are short on cash.
       “Because we noticed traditional credit check and background check applications, we created a new management model for these container homes, excluding the people who needed it most,” Colin said.
       Dee Hanks is co-owner of Hanks Properties. “I can’t think of a place in America that doesn’t need something like this,” he told CBS19.
       Dee and his three sons had a vision. They turn recycled shipping containers into affordable housing.
       "When you first start a business, you probably don't have $1,200 or $1,500 or more a month to rent something to sleep on at night," Dee explains.
       Colin Hanks, co-owner of Hanks Properties, added: "Tenants will either have to sell an arm or a leg to afford it, leaving them just one paycheck away from collapsing their house of cards."
       A recent report from TexasHousers.org found that there are 900,000 extremely low-income renter households in Texas. That equates to more than one-fifth of all renter households in the state.
       "If a family can find a home that's cost-effective, I think it would be great to take advantage of the opportunity," said Prentice Butler, housing manager for the city of Tyler. “Although it is smaller, it is not. something you want to keep forever, especially as your family grows, and you definitely want to consider giving it up. In the meantime, this may stop the bleeding.”
       The Hanks family took us on a tour of one of their shipping container homes. Inside you will find all the comforts of home on a smaller scale.
       “Tiny houses and minimalist living are very popular right now, and I think it’s popular out of necessity,” Colin explains.
       “It’s just a very cost-effective solution to reduce rents that wouldn’t be possible with traditional construction. I mean, it just doesn’t exist,” Dee said.
       Colin said they offer four different designs: duplex, luxury duplex, one-bedroom and two-bedroom options. A 40-foot shipping container provides 320 square feet of living space.
       “I would love to do this on a national level. Our factory in McAllen, Texas can produce almost an entire house a day,” explains Colin.
       The concept was in development for more than a year and soon attracted interest from several states, including California, Maine and Florida.
       “We saw a lot of different applications around the country, and as more and more of them came in, we realized we needed to ramp up production very quickly,” Colin added.
       There are now three container homes for rent near Lake Palestine, with bills starting at just $700 a month.
       “These products must have a very long service life and very low repair or maintenance costs,” Dee explains.
       To attract future tenants, the Hanks family is eliminating traditional six- and 12-month leases. Instead, services are offered every month to those who are short on cash.
       “Because we noticed traditional credit check and background check applications, we created a new management model for these container homes, excluding the people who needed it most,” Colin said.