- C
- B
- F
Hello! My name is Kai Mooney and I am running for the United States Senate Hawaii. I have tried to get things done on the state level, but it's time the poor have a voice in Washington.
H.U.D. spends millions of dollars subsidizing housing and paying landlords more than a mortgage payment would be. By doing this they are not helping bring people out of poverty, they are helping landlords get richer. Most programs that say they want to help homeless people are actually designed to funnel money to those that already have more than they need.
I propose a different solution. The tiny house movement is taking the world by storm. People all over the world are realizing that tiny houses provide a path out of poverty and a chance to own real property.
I have designed a village prototype that can put 24 individual homes on a ¼ acre lot. Each home could house a family of up to four people. Each unit will be ecologically friendly, solar powered, have a shower and toilet, and be completely off the grid. These units can be put anywhere there is a road.
If you put them on a bus line or provide shuttle service, the residents of the community can seek outside employment and pay for the mortgage on their unit.
Living in the village residents will be offered employment in the tiny house industry. Residents could be trained and employed building units, in sales, in marketing, customer service, and many other aspects of the business.
Community outreach programs would be in place to; address concerns before they become an issue, to offer fund-raising for local schools, provide free lawn care for the elderly, provide support for existing community programs, etc.
The two year program is designed to get people off of the streets and back to being productive tax paying members of society. We are looking to provide the education, help, and support that people need to transition in to society.
The program would also bring manufacturing and export to Maui. The tiny houses would also be built in kit form similar to Ikea furniture and could be exported for sale around the world.
The Village
I have designed a village prototype that can put 24 individual homes on a ¼ acre lot. Each home could house a family of up to four people. Each unit will be ecologically friendly, solar powered, have a shower and toilet, and be completely off the grid. These units can be put anywhere there is a road.
If you put them on a bus line or provide shuttle service, the residents of the community can seek outside employment and pay for the mortgage on their unit.
Residents would be purchasing the units outright and leasing the small plot of land that the unit sits on. The village itself would finance the units. When the units are paid off the residents would be allowed to stay on in the village paying the land lease, allowed to move their unit off the property if they choose, or sell the unit either to an outside party or back to the village for the current market value. This would allow residents to take the money that they have invested in their tiny house and use it to transition into a larger home.
The beauty of this system is that no one is being given anything. They will be renting to own with the first six months free. On the seventh month the rent would be $100 and it would go up $100 per month until it is equal to what the average rent is for a two bedroom apartment. Here in Maui that is about $1,400 per month. That way they will gradually get used to monthly payments and it will make it easier to transition back into society.
After two years the total payments will be $16,100. $10,000 for the house and $6,100 for land lease and maintenance. 24 units per ¼ acre lot would generate $73,200 per year in income in land lease and maintenance fees alone. Also turning non-income generating people into productive, tax paying members of society. 30 acres of land could house 2,880 people. Approximately every homeless person in Maui. A great deal of land has recently become available here in Maui due to the sugar mill closing. I suggest that the county of Maui purchase 30 non consecutive acres around the island. We will start with a pilot program of ¼ acre and 24 units for two years. If and when the pilot program is successful the county leases us the rest of the land to create more communities.
The village would be operated the same as a condo complex with a homeowners association. Residents may be removed from the village for violations of the rules, but they would never lose their unit. Unlike bank financing, village financing would return their money if they failed to keep up the payments and the property needed to be foreclosed on. A member of the village would never lose their investment.
A member of the village would be free to come and go as they please. No restrictions would be placed on village members in their own space. The village would prohibit public use of drugs, alcohol and violence. Just like any other community, what a person does in their own home is their own business.
The village would be self policing and self maintained. Members of the village would be employed to maintain the property and would be paid out of the land lease and maintenance income.
The Tiny Homes
Each individual unit can be built for around $10,000. We are able to keep the costs so low because of the savings in labor costs. These homes would be built with volunteer labor and by the residents of the village themselves. Materials would be purchased in bulk and the homes would be built assembly line style.
Each unit would be built with quality materials and completely up to national building codes, with the exception of a waiver regarding minimum house size. All requirements for a residence will be met including bathroom, kitchen, and all required appliances, i.e. refrigerator, freezer, water heater, stove and oven.
Each unit would have a 160 square foot footprint and be on a 400 square foot parcel. Each unit would have a small fenced in yard and a vertical tower farm to allow villagers to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Each unit would have a 1,500 watt solar system and be wired with 5v dc USB, 12v dc RV, and 110v ac household for efficiency and convenience. The units would all be equipped with efficient LED lighting and RV appliances. On demand propane water heaters would provide hot water for the sinks and shower, keeping electric use down. I am working on a design for a ventilation system based on termite mounds in Africa in place of air-conditioning powered by one or two 5v computer fans.
Each unit would have a loft for a queen size bed and two fold out Murphy style beds on the ground floor. This allows the ground floor to be used as a living room during the day and an accordion door would divide it into two bedrooms at night. In this way each unit could house a family of up to four people.
While each unit would be built on a concrete foundation or footer, no permanent utilities would be connected making each unit easily transportable. The units are designed to have an axle, wheels, and a trailer tongue bolted on for transport. In this way all of the units could be moved with one tow package instead of building each unit onto a trailer, there by saving in cost.
My original design called for a 55 gallon septic system similar to an RV that would be pumped out regularly. Many innovations have been made in the field of human waste disposal. Composting toilets with solid and liquid separation seem to be the most popular right now, but there are also the incinerating toilets that leave nothing but ash behind. I have some more research I want to do before I settle on a solution.
Another way of funding the village may be through scientific research. In some US cities scientists are paying for urine collection for research. Other cities are paying for fecal studies. That may be a way to solve the waste removal problem as well. Many companies are looking to test products for reducing our carbon footprint. Villagers could test and write reviews on products.
Community Outreach
Community outreach programs would be in place to; address concerns before they become an issue. We will establish a community outreach program where villagers volunteer to help with problems in the local area and raise money for local charities, offer fund-raising for local schools, provide free lawn care for the elderly, provide support for existing community programs, etc. In this way villagers can become are a valuable part of their communities instead of being a blight on it.
Employment and Education
The two year program is designed to get people off of the streets and back to being productive tax paying members of society. We are looking to provide the education, help, and support that people need to transition in to society.
I will use my previous experience in appliance repair to teach others and to establish a used and refurbished appliance store to employ some village residents.
Others with a propensity for construction would be educated in building tiny homes, building codes, plumbing, electrical, roofing, flooring, framing, drywall, house painting, cabinetry, etc. Programs would be offered to help them get a contractors license should they choose.
For those residents that would like, there will be landscape and maintenance opportunities. Tools and equipment will be available to them to use until they can afford their own and on the job training will be available through the village landscaping service.
We will also work with the collage to provide course credit for students in the construction and building of houses and tiny homes in exchange for tuition programs for village residents.
Village residents will also be able to learn about; money management, budget planning, tax preparation, finance planning, how to build credit, how to apply for a loan, menu and meal planning, basic cooking and nutrition skills, shopping for meals, basic health and wellness, mental health, dealing with stress, anger management, how to get a job, how to write a resume, interview preparation, how to start a small business, general excise tax licenses, small business management, basic computer skills, how to make a website, basic coding skills, basic internet skills, how to vote, basic home maintenance, basic vehicle maintenance, how to get insurance, time management skills, critical thinking, communication skills, public speaking, an introduction to laws and ordinances, basic human rights, family planning and finance, basic child care and well being, early childhood development, how to enroll your child in school, etc. basically what every adult should know, but most don't.
Bringing Manufacturing and Exporting to Maui
Since the sugar mill and Maui Gold pineapple have left the island we no longer produce an export and we have lost a lot of jobs on the island due to that. With K-mart closing we are facing an unemployment crisis. This could end up being a cascade event that could cause a financial collapse. Or we could get in front of the problem and create an export and employment solution.
These units can also be manufactured in kit form, flat packed, and shipped anywhere in the world. This would bring manufacturing to Hawaii. Wouldn't it be nice to actually produce a product again? Sure, they could be produced cheaper elsewhere, but so can everything. That is no excuse for not doing it. Proudly made in Hawaii! That sounds pretty good to me.
Positive Press and Political Opportunities
Many places around the country are are experimenting with solutions for the homeless crisis and are getting a lot of positive press. People get excited when programs like this are successful. Politicians that provide real world solutions to real world problems rise fast in the political world.
Let's review the reasons for doing this.
It would become self funding and self replicating.
It would decrease unemployment and virtually eliminate poverty.
It would reduce our carbon footprint.
It would bring manufacturing to Hawaii.
It would bring much needed jobs to the islands
It would provide much needed housing for the homeless.
It would bring positive press and political advancement
We can't afford not to do it.
I have traveled across the country to find bits and pieces to put this project together. I have done interviews and servays of what people's concerns are and I have covered every argument and concern. I have come up with an elegant solution to a worldwide problem. This program can be and will be adapted to other areas. Once I get the prototype village operational I will take it everywhere that needs it.
H.U.D. spends millions of dollars subsidizing housing and paying landlords more than a mortgage payment would be. By doing this they are not helping bring people out of poverty, they are helping landlords get richer. Most programs that say they want to help homeless people are actually designed to funnel money to those that already have more than they need.
I propose a different solution. The tiny house movement is taking the world by storm. People all over the world are realizing that tiny houses provide a path out of poverty and a chance to own real property.
I have designed a village prototype that can put 24 individual homes on a ¼ acre lot. Each home could house a family of up to four people. Each unit will be ecologically friendly, solar powered, have a shower and toilet, and be completely off the grid. These units can be put anywhere there is a road.
If you put them on a bus line or provide shuttle service, the residents of the community can seek outside employment and pay for the mortgage on their unit.
Living in the village residents will be offered employment in the tiny house industry. Residents could be trained and employed building units, in sales, in marketing, customer service, and many other aspects of the business.
Community outreach programs would be in place to; address concerns before they become an issue, to offer fund-raising for local schools, provide free lawn care for the elderly, provide support for existing community programs, etc.
The two year program is designed to get people off of the streets and back to being productive tax paying members of society. We are looking to provide the education, help, and support that people need to transition in to society.
The program would also bring manufacturing and export to Maui. The tiny houses would also be built in kit form similar to Ikea furniture and could be exported for sale around the world.
The Village
I have designed a village prototype that can put 24 individual homes on a ¼ acre lot. Each home could house a family of up to four people. Each unit will be ecologically friendly, solar powered, have a shower and toilet, and be completely off the grid. These units can be put anywhere there is a road.
If you put them on a bus line or provide shuttle service, the residents of the community can seek outside employment and pay for the mortgage on their unit.
Residents would be purchasing the units outright and leasing the small plot of land that the unit sits on. The village itself would finance the units. When the units are paid off the residents would be allowed to stay on in the village paying the land lease, allowed to move their unit off the property if they choose, or sell the unit either to an outside party or back to the village for the current market value. This would allow residents to take the money that they have invested in their tiny house and use it to transition into a larger home.
The beauty of this system is that no one is being given anything. They will be renting to own with the first six months free. On the seventh month the rent would be $100 and it would go up $100 per month until it is equal to what the average rent is for a two bedroom apartment. Here in Maui that is about $1,400 per month. That way they will gradually get used to monthly payments and it will make it easier to transition back into society.
After two years the total payments will be $16,100. $10,000 for the house and $6,100 for land lease and maintenance. 24 units per ¼ acre lot would generate $73,200 per year in income in land lease and maintenance fees alone. Also turning non-income generating people into productive, tax paying members of society. 30 acres of land could house 2,880 people. Approximately every homeless person in Maui. A great deal of land has recently become available here in Maui due to the sugar mill closing. I suggest that the county of Maui purchase 30 non consecutive acres around the island. We will start with a pilot program of ¼ acre and 24 units for two years. If and when the pilot program is successful the county leases us the rest of the land to create more communities.
The village would be operated the same as a condo complex with a homeowners association. Residents may be removed from the village for violations of the rules, but they would never lose their unit. Unlike bank financing, village financing would return their money if they failed to keep up the payments and the property needed to be foreclosed on. A member of the village would never lose their investment.
A member of the village would be free to come and go as they please. No restrictions would be placed on village members in their own space. The village would prohibit public use of drugs, alcohol and violence. Just like any other community, what a person does in their own home is their own business.
The village would be self policing and self maintained. Members of the village would be employed to maintain the property and would be paid out of the land lease and maintenance income.
The Tiny Homes
Each individual unit can be built for around $10,000. We are able to keep the costs so low because of the savings in labor costs. These homes would be built with volunteer labor and by the residents of the village themselves. Materials would be purchased in bulk and the homes would be built assembly line style.
Each unit would be built with quality materials and completely up to national building codes, with the exception of a waiver regarding minimum house size. All requirements for a residence will be met including bathroom, kitchen, and all required appliances, i.e. refrigerator, freezer, water heater, stove and oven.
Each unit would have a 160 square foot footprint and be on a 400 square foot parcel. Each unit would have a small fenced in yard and a vertical tower farm to allow villagers to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Each unit would have a 1,500 watt solar system and be wired with 5v dc USB, 12v dc RV, and 110v ac household for efficiency and convenience. The units would all be equipped with efficient LED lighting and RV appliances. On demand propane water heaters would provide hot water for the sinks and shower, keeping electric use down. I am working on a design for a ventilation system based on termite mounds in Africa in place of air-conditioning powered by one or two 5v computer fans.
Each unit would have a loft for a queen size bed and two fold out Murphy style beds on the ground floor. This allows the ground floor to be used as a living room during the day and an accordion door would divide it into two bedrooms at night. In this way each unit could house a family of up to four people.
While each unit would be built on a concrete foundation or footer, no permanent utilities would be connected making each unit easily transportable. The units are designed to have an axle, wheels, and a trailer tongue bolted on for transport. In this way all of the units could be moved with one tow package instead of building each unit onto a trailer, there by saving in cost.
My original design called for a 55 gallon septic system similar to an RV that would be pumped out regularly. Many innovations have been made in the field of human waste disposal. Composting toilets with solid and liquid separation seem to be the most popular right now, but there are also the incinerating toilets that leave nothing but ash behind. I have some more research I want to do before I settle on a solution.
Another way of funding the village may be through scientific research. In some US cities scientists are paying for urine collection for research. Other cities are paying for fecal studies. That may be a way to solve the waste removal problem as well. Many companies are looking to test products for reducing our carbon footprint. Villagers could test and write reviews on products.
Community Outreach
Community outreach programs would be in place to; address concerns before they become an issue. We will establish a community outreach program where villagers volunteer to help with problems in the local area and raise money for local charities, offer fund-raising for local schools, provide free lawn care for the elderly, provide support for existing community programs, etc. In this way villagers can become are a valuable part of their communities instead of being a blight on it.
Employment and Education
The two year program is designed to get people off of the streets and back to being productive tax paying members of society. We are looking to provide the education, help, and support that people need to transition in to society.
I will use my previous experience in appliance repair to teach others and to establish a used and refurbished appliance store to employ some village residents.
Others with a propensity for construction would be educated in building tiny homes, building codes, plumbing, electrical, roofing, flooring, framing, drywall, house painting, cabinetry, etc. Programs would be offered to help them get a contractors license should they choose.
For those residents that would like, there will be landscape and maintenance opportunities. Tools and equipment will be available to them to use until they can afford their own and on the job training will be available through the village landscaping service.
We will also work with the collage to provide course credit for students in the construction and building of houses and tiny homes in exchange for tuition programs for village residents.
Village residents will also be able to learn about; money management, budget planning, tax preparation, finance planning, how to build credit, how to apply for a loan, menu and meal planning, basic cooking and nutrition skills, shopping for meals, basic health and wellness, mental health, dealing with stress, anger management, how to get a job, how to write a resume, interview preparation, how to start a small business, general excise tax licenses, small business management, basic computer skills, how to make a website, basic coding skills, basic internet skills, how to vote, basic home maintenance, basic vehicle maintenance, how to get insurance, time management skills, critical thinking, communication skills, public speaking, an introduction to laws and ordinances, basic human rights, family planning and finance, basic child care and well being, early childhood development, how to enroll your child in school, etc. basically what every adult should know, but most don't.
Bringing Manufacturing and Exporting to Maui
Since the sugar mill and Maui Gold pineapple have left the island we no longer produce an export and we have lost a lot of jobs on the island due to that. With K-mart closing we are facing an unemployment crisis. This could end up being a cascade event that could cause a financial collapse. Or we could get in front of the problem and create an export and employment solution.
These units can also be manufactured in kit form, flat packed, and shipped anywhere in the world. This would bring manufacturing to Hawaii. Wouldn't it be nice to actually produce a product again? Sure, they could be produced cheaper elsewhere, but so can everything. That is no excuse for not doing it. Proudly made in Hawaii! That sounds pretty good to me.
Positive Press and Political Opportunities
Many places around the country are are experimenting with solutions for the homeless crisis and are getting a lot of positive press. People get excited when programs like this are successful. Politicians that provide real world solutions to real world problems rise fast in the political world.
Let's review the reasons for doing this.
It would become self funding and self replicating.
It would decrease unemployment and virtually eliminate poverty.
It would reduce our carbon footprint.
It would bring manufacturing to Hawaii.
It would bring much needed jobs to the islands
It would provide much needed housing for the homeless.
It would bring positive press and political advancement
We can't afford not to do it.
I have traveled across the country to find bits and pieces to put this project together. I have done interviews and servays of what people's concerns are and I have covered every argument and concern. I have come up with an elegant solution to a worldwide problem. This program can be and will be adapted to other areas. Once I get the prototype village operational I will take it everywhere that needs it.