Ever been to a poor country? No, I’m not leading into a joke about our own country’s economy. If you’ve ever traveled through poor neighborhoods in less developed countries, you know that shelter takes on a different meaning. It’s literally…shelter. People without money were the original green builders. Their homes were made out of wood pallets, cardboard and scrap metal out of necessity before it became trendy in the US or Europe.

It was on a trip to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico that Brian McCarthy came up with the idea to offer poverty stricken folks the chance to own homes. The concept? Shipping containers.

Each container home will be 320 square feet and cost less than $10,000. McCarthy and his three partners designed the prototype to include a/c hookups and water and electric systems.

The partners named the company PFNC Global Communities: “Por Fin, Nuestra Casa,” which translates to “Finally, our own home.”

Via CNN