Shipping Containers Will Be Used For New Affordable Dallas Housing Project

Dallas is bringing in Merriman Anderson/Architects to create affordable Dallas housing projects out of shipping containers.
This architect company has designed some of the most larges historic building restorations in Dallas. They have also created new buildings in the downtown’s East Quarter and the suburbs.
But the firm’s latest project, they wanted to think outside the box.
It is going to be an apartment complex made out of shipping containers in Southeast Dallas.
The local firm teamed up with CitySquare Housing to design the Lomax Container Housing Projects on South Malcolm X Blvd. The project is supposed to begin sometime early this year.
The project would create a total of nineteen one-bedroom affordable housing units. They are made out of refurbished 300-square feet shipping containers.
The rental units would contain a living area located in the front of a kitchen, a bathroom, and single room.
Rent will be starting at $960 a month, all bills paid. These units will only be available to residents earning less than 60% of the area median income.
“We are proud to be involved with such a unique project and support a philanthropic effort by CitySquare Housing,” the president of Merriman Anderson/Architects, Milton Anderson released in a statement.
Merriman Anderson and CitySquare are planning to use this as a prototype project. Planning to create larger affordable housing communities containing up to 130 units across the Dallas Metropolitan area.
Other firms such as, Falcon Structures, Summit Consultants, Hunt & Joiner, RLG Consulting Engineers, IntroSpec and Studio Outside are also joining in on this project.
All of these companies state they are coming together to combat poverty and to promote housing that is affordable.
“We are excited about this project and what it means for affordable housing in Dallas,” Chad Baker, CitySquare’s executive director stated. “John Mullen is one that originally brought this idea to us back in 2016 and funded the prototypes that we built in 2018. “He also was a co-founder of the Container Store and a huge supporter of the work that we do.”
Baker stated while $906 might sound a little steep for a very small rental unit, nearby apartments start out ranging from $1,300 to $1,600 a month for efficiencies with no utilities included.
“I think the biggest misconception is that “affordable housing” means ‘low-income housing’ which is definitely not the case,’ he said. “There is a shortage of available units at every point if the affordability spectrum and workforce housing projects like this one are just a small part of the overall solution.
“The Lomax project is being built with no public funds and if successful will be a self-sustaining affordable option for people in the 60% average median income range.”