A Vancouver city councillor believes a new apartment complex built entirely from recycled shipping containers could be a potential solution to low-income housing problems in the city.

Made up of 12 metal containers, the brand-new development on Alexander St. in the Downtown Eastside is the first of its kind in the country. The 12-unit building fits on a standard-sized city lot and will house a dozen low-income women starting this fall.

The 320-square-foot containers are stacked three high and have full floor-to-ceiling windows at each end. External staircases link each floor. The suites within range up to 290-square-feet and are self-contained with kitchens, bathrooms and in-suite laundry.

In Pictures: Complex made of shipping containers

City councillor Dr. Kerry Jang said the building, which has an industrial look and features modern cabinetry and space-saving murphy beds, would work elsewhere in the city. The unique development is also a cost-effective way to house low income citizens.

“People had criticized us saying you can't just stack up poor people or disadvantaged people in containers, but you take a look through this building and you’ll see that it’s livable,” Jang said.

“If we were to build housing for disadvantaged people now it’s about $225,000 per unit for custom units from scratch but these units, which are virtually indistinguishable from any of those units, are about $85,000.”

The housing concept is also eco-friendly, a cause Mayor Gregor Robertson wholeheartedly supports through his Greenest City initiative.

Janice Abbott, CEO of the Atria Women’s Resource Society, the agency that spearheaded the development, said the shipping containers would have otherwise been left to rust in a yard if they weren’t used.

“They're reusing surplus materials. I think there are 25 million vacant shipping containers in yards around the world so it has environmental benefits,” she said.

Six of the suites will be rented to older women who will serve as mentors to younger women living in housing next door. Their suites will rent for $375 per month. The other six suites will range from $650 to $850.

In order to qualify, potential tenants can’t earn more than $34,000 per year.

With a report from CTV’s Maria Weisgarber