A new housing unit developed by the YMCA may offer one solution to the lack of affordable housing in London and other UK cities.

The Y:Cube is a 280-sq-ft (26-sq-m) studio-like apartment made for single occupancy. It can stand alone, or be stacked into bigger housing blocks.

The units are constructed in a factory and arrive on site ready-made, with water, heating and electricity incorporated into the unit and ready to be connected to local facilities.

The YMCA plans to open its first Y:Cube Housing scheme with 36 of the units in the London borough of Merton by the end of 2014.

A unit costs £30,000 ($50,000) to build, and the one-bedroom homes will be let for £140 ($235) per week - around 65% of the usual market rent.

It was developed by YMCA London South West in partnership with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

To find out what it will actually feels like to live in a Y:Cube, the YMCA asked one of its residents to road-test a prototype.

BBC News went to meet Shantae Whyte during her week in the Y:Cube.

Video Journalist: Dan Curtis

Extra footage courtesy of YMCA

Stop/Start is a series of video features for the BBC News website which follows both new trends that are beginning and old traditions that are coming to an end.