Couple Leaves San Fran to Build “Containertopia” Village in Oakland

Not long ago, the average home price was about 1-2x annual income. In San Francisco, where rent has risen astronomically, and now the average home price is 3-4x annual income. A one bedroom apartment goes for about $2,000 or more in most areas. Because of these inflated real-estate prices many folks have been squeezed out of their homes because they simply can’t afford to live there anymore. Luke Iseman and Heather Stewart were living in the Mission area of San Francisco when they decided they simply couldn’t pay those kind of prices anymore. Their solution? Move across the bay to Oakland, rent a half-acre and buy a $2,300 shipping container from the Port of Oakland to live in. Then, they bought a few more, and offered these up as rentals.

While it does appear a bit post-apocalyptic with the barbed-wire fence, graffiti covered walls, and concrete surroundings, I need to commend these two on their initiative and creativity. In the video below they walk us through their living situation and explain how they adapted. While their experiment might not be for everyone, it’s inspiring to see how they make it work and we look forward to seeing how their project develops.

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