It's a heck of a topic and has been for a long while. Containers are a far better emergency housing for natural disaster victims too, easily shipped wherever they are needed and consider the middle east earthquake of not long ago, better for the people than the plastic/canvas tentage so often seen.
I believe it is easy to go too small when looking at this question and the container idea, not only valid but brilliant re-use, re-purpose, recycle material. Refurbing a used container that would be scrapped, how cheap is that? Far more of a solution than other ideas and with good thinking, serviceable for years or decades.