They plan to build in Colorado next and foresee homeowners taking their shipping containers with them to other states where they can rent a Stackhouse slot. The homes can be moved by truck.

The developers say they were motivated to create a unique living project close to downtown that was affordable.

In addition to the cost of purchasing a shipping container, rent for a slot in the Stackhouse, which will include utilities, cable and internet, will be between $650 and $1,100 a month, depending on the floor.

Rents in and around downtown have been rising steadily since the arrival of the streetcar and subsequent development and are now the highest in the city.

“This is a great thing to have in the downtown core,” said Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, who represents Ward 6. “It’s a constant theme, ‘How do you balance the great progress we’ve made downtown with rising housing costs?’”

He said the city does not have many resources to compel developers to build affordable housing and applauded the Stackhouse project.