Brownstone Shared Housing, a local start-up in the bay area, has devised a plan to accommodate tenants in its miniature bunk bed pods at an affordable rate of $880 per month. The company is of the opinion that housing has become an expensive thing these days and renting out just a little apartment would cost you $2400 per month. So, they have come up with an easy-to-manage plan for the tenants where they can sleep in their pods with adequate facilities like WIFI, kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc. Some say that it is nothing but an updated version of a prison cell with the exception of WIFI facilities. However, the company aims to provide comfort and convenience to its tenants by providing them with an affordable and mobile location to work in nearby areas. Moreover, the Stanford campus is also close to this local housing project, which would be beneficial for students as well as those living in the pods.
In addition to that, the co-founder of Brownstone Shared Housing, Christina Lennox, said, “The wood kind of allows for relaxation, rather than like going inside of this futuristic-looking plastic object. It has, like, definitely a different feel. I would say that it’s more calming and soothing for people. ” There are 14 pods in this single house of three bedrooms, and everyone can live comfortably there. Moreover, one space has to be shared with 13 other roommates as well. On the other hand, some people consider it “living inside a warship” and couldn’t give it the status of a home. They think that we should focus on giving better ideas than merely living in these small pods and sharing them with other people as well.
Meanwhile, James Stallworth, one of the company’s co-founders, said, “The pod, when they’re in it, feels like their own space. It’s nothing like a bunk bed because it’s enclosed. You don’t have a concept of how many there are in the room.” He further commented that “There are so many people who aren’t doing things because housing is a barrier. Our plans are [to go] wherever there’s the greatest need”.
In short, there are varied opinions about this housing, primarily due to its small pods, but the company argues that each pod has 40% more space than their bunk beds. One good thing to consider is that the co-founder, Lennox, preferred to live in the same pods for the past year, as reported.
