NPSA Applauds Clemson University for Portable Storage Research

Clemson University researchers are experimenting with ways to convert shipping containers into emergency housing – and it could help the people of Haiti.

"Clemson University is at the forefront of research into using portable storage units to address housing crises in the wake of hurricanes. Now, the university is researching how shipping containers could help in earthquake zones," says John Finnessy, executive director of the National Portable Storage Association, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. "The NPSA applauds this work."

Clemson faculty and students are studying ways to put displaced people in emergency housing that could be sturdy and safe on a permanent site. Putting families back on their own land quickly is key to the idea. Families displaced by disaster often do not return to their permanent homes for years, if ever, but the Clemson researchers are looking for strategies to help, ideally having a modified container on site within three weeks.

"You get people back in their communities and it strengthens those communities," says Pernille Christensen, a research associate in the Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate and Ph.D. student in planning, design and the built environment. "They work on their home, not a temporary shelter, and then they work with their neighbors to rebuild the neighborhood. It leads to a healthier and safer community. And these are places often in dire need of better housing."

As part of this research, the group is studying the cycles of natural disasters by looking at the larger picture through mapping and logistics to understand how portable storage containers move, available surpluses and ultimately coordinating the cycles of natural disasters with the ebb and flow of container supplies worldwide.

For more information, visit www.npsa-us.org.
The National Portable Storage Association
The National Portable Storage Association is dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. We at the NPSA are here to serve those in the portable storage industry who rent, sell or lease containers, trailers and mobile offices. The NPSA assists members with industry, regulatory and workforce issues; plus, offers members networking, marketing and legislative support at national, state and local levels.

PR Contact:
Jennifer LeClaire
Self Storage Promotions
305-467-4284
jennifer@selfstoragepromotions.com
www.selfstoragepromotions.com