Connect with us

Business

Living Inside the Box

Published

on

By Lisa Harrison Rivas

Local entrepreneur aims to bring more shipping container homes to S.A.

It’s no secret that in San Antonio and much of the nation home prices are on the rise. Affordability is an issue in many communities, and this has led to thinking outside of the box when it comes to creating housing that is both affordable and appealing. The tiny house option is one way some are downsizing their living space as well as their debt. Shipping container homes are another unique dwelling option.

Though not a new concept, these homes are not common in the San Antonio area, but master designer Anya K. Bartay wants to change that. She has designed a house on the East Side using two shipping containers, and she also can incorporate several of the 40′ x 8′ containers to build a multi-level home that’s as big as a traditional house. The base price for a 2,000 square-foot home is around $220,000.

Her love of design and architecture began when she was a child. She spent part of her childhood in Panama and said that experience helped her appreciate the value of what we have in the United States.

She also credits her life in Panama with spurring the creation of Project N.O.A.H which stands for Net Zero Affordable Housing. Bartay stresses she is not designing government housing but housing that is affordable.

One of the homes she designed sits on the East Side and will become an Airbnb rental so that people can see what a shipping container home is like before they buy one. And soon, Bartay and her family will move into a container home she is building in Northeast San Antonio. It will be a model home she and her family will be living in for a year to provide data on how the house impacts the environment.

“We’re going to work with UTSA, CPS, Eco Central on monitoring all of the systems that are going to be implemented in that house. The solar, the rainwater collection to see how much is real, how much we use. To see how less of an impact we create with that house.”

Bartay recently discussed her plans to bring more shipping container homes to San Antonio.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: I’m working on a partnership with a factory that is already building shipping container homes to facilitate my need for the construction and to help them with their need for sales. We do have a subdivision that we have in mind. The owners of that property (on the Southside) said they will give us the land and we will create a neighborhood.

Q: Why would someone choose to buy a shipping container home?

A:  The first thing is safety. The container is resistant to tornados, hurricanes, torrential winds. Lots of construction won’t withstand those different disasters.

Q: How do people react to your project?

A: When I give them a proper understanding of what container homes could look like, their reaction is wonderful.

Q:  How did you become interested in building shipping container homes?

A: What I did was start doing searches and finding out what would be acceptable to present to people I worked with who needed a little bit of financial assistance getting their architectural needs met. So, shipping containers came up.

Q: Have you talked to city officials?

A:  I have presented this to Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert Jr., Senator Jose Menéndez, Neighborhood Housing Services of America and SAHA. And they’ve all agreed to using it.

Q: So how did you get training to build these homes?

A:  Once I had a nonprofit ask me about my designs, and then I got an investor. I looked up the details on YouTube and I put them into practice and started doing the work myself. I’ve been drawing it for years, so it’s just doing it now.

Q: Describe your style

A: I have 75 percent masonry on the outside and all the different means that everyone has for permanent housing. We are embedded into the foundation. And one of the biggest things is that we provide a thermal insulation coating and a rust-o proof coating for the container so that we avoid mold or any kind of disease.

Q: How much would a basic container home cost?

A: $110 a square foot (40-foot long containers are used). We have closing costs and money down assistance for an FHA or conventional loan.

Q: What type of foundation do the homes have?

A: We can do piers if you have elasticity in the soil. And you can do a regular slab on grade if you have nice solid bedrock.

Q: How long does it take to complete?

A: It should take no more than three months, but we’re going to be striving for one and a half. Most of the construction happens in one day. If it’s a custom, we’ll say three to six months.

Q: What are some of the things you can do to customize a container home?

A: Instead of sheetrock, you may want to use wood paneling, or put brick on the outside, or have an accent wall. You can do a lot of different variations of finishes.

Q: Do you help clients come up with a design?

A:  We try to help get the psychology behind the client’s needs and implement it into the design.


Lisa Harrison Rivas is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Don Johnson Realtors. If you are planning to buy or sell, feel free to contact her at 210-380-9006 or 
lhrivas@realsa.com

Business

Treasury Department Releases Report on Benefits of Unions to the U.S. Economy

Published

on

The Treasury Department recently released its most comprehensive-ever look at the role that labor unions play in the American economy with a new report by the Department’s Office of Economic Policy. 

The report represents over 70 actions the White House Task Force implemented on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. It finds that unions play an important role in addressing the middle class’s longstanding challenges – including stagnant wages, high housing costs, and reduced intergenerational mobility.  

The report’s key findings are:

  • Middle-class workers reap substantial benefits from unionization. Unions raise the wages of their members by 10 to 15 percent. Unions also improve fringe benefits and workplace procedures such as retirement plans, workplace grievance policies, and predictable scheduling. 
  • Unionization also has spillover effects. Competition means workers at nonunionized firms see increased wages, too. Heightened workplace safety norms can pull up whole industries. Union members improve their communities through increased civic engagement; and they are more likely to vote and donate to charity. 
  • Modern unions have broad representation across race and gender. In 2021, Black men had a particularly high union representation rate at 13 percent, as compared to the population average of 10 percent. 
  • Unions can boost businesses’ productivity by improving working environments and giving experienced workers more of an input into decisions that design better and more cost-effective workplace procedures. 

Promisingly, there have been recent signs of a reinvigorated labor movement, as union election petitions in 2022 bounced back from the pandemic to their highest level since 2015, and public opinion of labor unions is at its highest level in over 50 years. Other actions taken by the White House include:

  • Prioritizing the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and the Public Sector Freedom to Negotiate Act.  
  • Promoting “know your rights” initiatives to provide workers with better information about their organizing and bargaining rights.
  • Announcing a new rule to raise wage standards of construction workers by updating wage regulations.
  • Requiring employers to pay prevailing wages and abide by apprenticeship requirements to claim the full value of many clean energy tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Treasury Department’s implementation of the law.
Continue Reading

Business

First Black Franchise Symposium and Trade Show Coming to Plano

Published

on

The Franchise Game, the U.S.’s first and only African American Franchise Symposium and Trade Show, is coming to Plano, Texas, on Friday, September 15, 2023. The event, spearheaded by “The Franchise Player” Tarji Carter and Marketing Maven Dessie Brown, Jr., will take place at Yum! Restaurants International Corporate Campus from 8am-5pm CST. The symposium aims to bring together experts and industry leaders to discuss the secrets to success, challenges, and opportunities in franchising. The theme for this inaugural event is Doing The Work! 

The day will kick off with a message from James Fripp (Chief Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer,

Yum! Brands) and a powerful keynote address from Nicholas Perkins (CEO of Fuddruckers and the first African American to own a National Hamburger Franchise System), followed by an explosive lineup of panel discussions led by franchise subject matter experts including Mike Quinn (Franchisee, Pizza Hut), Tim Williams (Director of Operations, Williams Chicken), Damon Dunn (Franchisee, Dunkin’ Brands and Retired NFL Player), Delmas Arthur (Operations Manager, Dunkin’ Brands, Starbucks, 5 Guys, McDonald’s, and Hardee’s), and “The Franchise Player” Tarji Carter.

“With this event, we are looking to attract multi-unit franchisees, owner/operators, potential investors, athletes, entertainers, and franchise brands seeking to attract franchisees that reflect the communities they serve,” says Carter, who has worked with some of the world’s most delicious restaurant brands, including CinnabonCarvelBaskin RobbinsDunkinWingstopEdible ArrangementsFuddruckers, and Bojangles’. “We want to increase franchise ownership and wealth across the African American community by providing education, resources, and opportunities to aspiring franchisees and small business owners – and we can reach this goal by partnering with franchise brands committed to inclusion, equity, and belonging.”

Fueled by iconic African American magazine/brand JET, the Franchise Game will consist of sessions from franchisees, lawyers, business development officers, and operation managers. Sessions include A Day in the Life of a Franchisee (where attendees will learn from some of the industry’s best multi-unit franchisees), Talk to My Attorney! (where attendees will learn about the legal rights and responsibilities from franchise attorneys), Bag Secured (which is designed to address accessing capital for business), Operational Excellence (which is designed to show attendees how to grow from an Owner-Operator to owning a large enterprise), and How to Get Started and Approved (which is the official guide to franchise ownership).

Before the symposium and trade show, The Franchise Game will also hold a VIP Reception on September 14, 2023, for executives, brands, and select attendees.

To register or for more information, please visit www.thefranchiseplayer.com/events. Early registration is recommended, as space is limited

Continue Reading

Black Life Texas

Supporting Black Business 365

Published

on

With the Black community making up 6-7% of the population in San Antonio, it’s critically important that local Black businesses are supported. As in June for Black History Month and August for Black Business Month, the focus needs to be more than twice per year.

There are more than 2 million Black-owned small businesses in the United States. Since the start of the pandemic, the number of new Black business owners has risen 38 percent, with Black female entrepreneurs leading the charge. 

Despite this progress, Black entrepreneurs are struggling to stay afloat, with 8 out of 10 Black-owned businesses expected to fail within the first 18 months, according to a 2021 CNBC report. The struggle is real for African American companies. According to a 2022 report by Bank of America, 46% of Black business owners in the U.S. face problems accessing capital, and 44% don’t have a mentor.

While San Antonio is home to several Chambers of Commerce, two cater to the Black community. The Alamo City Black Chamber of Commerce and the African American Chamber of Commerce of San Antonio provide ways for entrepreneurs to be mentored and learn from others. They offer lunch and learn series, ongoing mixers, resource fairs, and business institutes. 

The Biden Administration has recently made it simpler for many small-business owners to get loans. As part of a series of changes effective Aug. 1, the Small Business Administration has simplified loan requirements to make it easier for financial-technology firms to participate. The SBA is also increasing the scope of licensed non-bank lenders to issue SBA loans. Also, the federal office is providing additional flexibility in credit criteria for loans under $500,000 to reach more credit-worthy small businesses. 

SBA loans, typically made by banks and other financial institutions, help entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses. Entrepreneurs can borrow up to $5 million in SBA-backed loans, making the loans less risky and more appealing to lenders. 

Continue Reading

Hot Topics