Sheffield Man Uses Shipping Containers For Homes

8 January 2019, 17:03 | Updated: 8 January 2019, 17:06

Jon Johnson says eco-homes made out of shipping containers could help solve the social housing crisis.

New figures from the charity Shelter show 145 thousand people in Yorkshire are on the waiting list for social housing.

Jon Johnson has built an affordable, sustainable eco-home out of a 40 foot shipping container.

Jon said he wants to change the housing market: 'People's first impression when you mention shipping containers is sometimes negative but that's generally people who have not been here and had a look at this.

I don't want to build great big blocks of rusty shipping containers warehousing people just because it's cheap.

I want to build beautiful, inspiring homes that people can afford and love to live in.'

Jon has built a proto-type in Heeley, which is a beautiful open plan living space.

A panel put together by Shelter after the Grenfell disaster has released a report about the social housing crisis.

The analysis claims 200 billion pounds needs to be spent on building 3 million homes in England.

Jon wants to help bridge that gap and provide hundreds of affordable homes: 'I know this is an idea that's just waiting it's time and it's waiting to happen.

I'm going to keep banging my head on the wall until I make it happen because there's so many people who are desperate for something like this to give them the opportunities that they need.'

Jon started the not-for-profit project called Reach Homes and is now looking for backing and land to develop.

He hopes to revolutionise the way we think about housing and make six hundred of these homes each year.