ATL Standard

A couple in Atlanta are attempting to create communities comprised entirely of shipping container houses in an attempt to remedy the affordable housing problem, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

The concept of establishing container home communities originated when the pandemic hit and the necessity for affordable housing became evident, Majesty Gayle, CEO and director of Real Estate for EVO Group Holdings, told the Atlanta Real Estate Forum. EVO Group focuses on green building and sustainable development.

 "Our company is committed to going into the most distressed, neglected areas and beautifying, Majesty told Atlanta Real Estate Forum during the podcast interview, "That's what our mission has always been about.

Majesty said that EVO Group Holdings' expansion into green construction and containers was influenced by their popularity and use of recyclable materials in their construction.

"They make construction simpler than a traditional stick-built (home). It's more of a cookie-cutter approach," Majesty said.

According to Majesty, EVO Group Holdings intends to establish these container communities through the Evo Opportunity Fund and the company's non-profit, PUSH Ministry. Evo Haven is the project name for the company's recyclable shipping containers that are transformed into modern, eco-friendly houses.

"There's a lot of people who have been looking to build their own container home, but they have certain hurdles that they have to get across like zoning and finding land and then the cost of land. That's a lot of responsibility for somebody who just wants to purchase a home and move in and wants it to be a container home, a sustainable home, a beautiful home at that. So what we've been able to do is combine all of those efforts for our customers," Elize Gayle, chief marketing officer of Evo Group Holdings, said during the podcast.

Sustainable development is defined as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," according to the International Institute of Sustainable Development.

Atlanta, like the rest of the country, is experiencing an affordable housing shortage, with house prices increasing around 10.6 percent in the last year and the average property valued at $325,929, according to Zillow.

 Between 2010 and 2019, the region gained almost 700,000 people, the fourth highest population increase among major metropolitan areas in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, further indicating the need for more affordable, sustainable housing.

Additionally, the Atlanta Regional Commission projects that Metro Atlanta's population could increase by 2.9 million people by 2050.