While it may not be The Ritz, any roof would be preferable to sleeping rough in the cold and harsh Tasmanian winter, so surely most of us would take that offer.

Before today, shipping containers could not be approved as temporary housing, but the Tasmanian Government has changed the law in light of the state's growing housing crisis, to grant powers to local government.

The state government issued the planning directive on Wednesday for 18 new units for men to be added at Bethlehem House in Hobart, and 17 units for women at Hobart's Women's Shelter.

However, there's a couple of conditions on what appears to be a generous law change - the new law only applies to land controlled by Housing Tasmania and recognised housing support providers.

Also, the law is not retrospective so can not be applied to shipping containers that already exist on these assessed properties.

Those conditions will be cold comfort to some, particularly a Biralee family who was forced out of their home by the Meander Valley Council after it was revealed in The Examiner they had been living in a friend's shipping container.

The family was also issued a bill for thousands of dollars for living in the container without a permit.

Changes to the law like this will allow the tiny house movement to fully take flight in Tasmania and add another string to its established bow - shipping containers can be versatile and designed well to cater for those in need.

It also offers another economic avenue for shipping container company Royal Wolf, who would supply the containers for housing as well as a design opportunity for architecture students at the University of Tasmania.

However, with the housing crisis only getting worse, discretion for residents needs to be the next step to alleviate some of the pressure from housing support organisations.