Affordable Arizona housing in apartments made of shipping containers

“Stacks on Polk” is a 19-unit apartment complex in Phoenix made entirely of shipping containers manufactured in Mexico. The units are available for rent starting at $1,250 a month.

To help keep the units as affordable as possible, the modules were fabricated in Tudo Capital’s factory in Hermosillo, Mexico, then shipped to Phoenix.

Evan Glickman, Founder of Tudo Capital, joined “Arizona Horizon” to talk about this innovative apartment complex.

The housing is made by combining multiple shipping containers to form bedrooms and other structures. The interiors are built in as well, with running electricity, kitchen cabinetry, and even toilets.

“As much as we could, we did in the factory because that was the thesis for our investment was to do as much off-site as possible,” Glickman said. “We had a learning curve on this project, which threw a big wrench into it.”

The new apartments have garnered mixed reactions from the community. Glickman mentioned that the unique aesthetic features of the housing can be polarizing to residents.

“I’ve had people walking down the street that tell me it’s the ugliest building they’ve ever seen in their whole life, but that’s fine,” Glickman said. “We only have 19 units. That’s all we need is people who want an industrial aesthetic.”

Transporting the containers to states beyond Arizona has proved a challenge for the company. Moving the container apartments to states on the East Coast or the northern United States is causing an increase in costs for residents due to the extra mileage. The goal of the project is to create affordable housing, but transportation continues to be an issue.

“The limiting factor for the expansion is most likely the transportation costs,” Glickman said. “I think a lot of apartment buildings that you see right now. people think it’s a little bit cookie-cutter.”