Many of you know that our home of 33 years, our dear little Kauai, is facing the major challenge of having no affordable housing for our local families. And some of you know that Harvest and I have committed to help solve this conundrum, and have been working on it for years now.
I am so honored and proud to officially announce the formation of our nonprofit agency, Neighborhood Housing Community Development Corporation.
Our mission is to provide truly and permanently affordable, sustainable neighborhood housing and living for our local people, farmers and workforce on Kauai, in partnership with the remarkable Kauai community, government agencies and other organizations. Our team is getting to be very effective, and we’re so thrilled to be joined by the venerable Greg Crowe, our vice president, and the remarkable Larry Graff, executive director.
Our vision is to change the old, ineffective paradigm of “affordable housing” to “permanently affordable living” (PAL). As Greg says, it’s housing — and so much more! We are working diligently to provide (and encourage others to provide) housing which the average person living on Kauai can actually afford. We believe that housing should stay truly affordable, permanently — not just for 10 or 15 years.
We believe that PAL is building housing and also staying focused on creating sustainable communities for our residents, using innovative technologies and concepts which are tested and proven elsewhere to reduce the cost of living, protect the environment and increase our quality of life (such as solar power and hot water and advanced waste treatment units). We are building a talented and dedicated team to complete this work.
Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. We are a tiny island in the middle of the largest body of water on our little planet and our “Garden Island” is facing a clear and present “creeping disaster” (our planning director’s phrase). Anywhere else that you live, if you can’t find a home, you simply move down the road. On Kauai … you are gone! And your family, which may have been in its ancestral home for generations, is torn asunder!
You can help
As a fledgling organization, we are seeking volunteers in social media, office assistance, construction, architecture, engineering, landscaping and/or any other services that will help us achieve this urgent work. If you own land and want to help us make a difference, we invite you to contact us. We can show you how to serve the community while preserving your land, protecting the environment and even generating a profit or creating a passive and on-going income stream.
Donation match fundraising
On Nov. 14 we officially incorporated in the state of Hawaii as a nonprofit organization. We submitted our application for federal
nonprofit status in December (and — even if the government is shut down, they cashed our check). Our first fundraising effort is to match our first major gift of $30,000, from an anonymous donor.
The funding is to ensure that we can continue our noble work. We need funds for developing the many projects we are working on and for supporting the work with staff, supplies and consultants.
Of course, we will meet with you to help you earmark your funds to specific efforts or projects, if you like. At this point your donation is only eligible for state tax exemption. You will be notified when our application for federal nonprofit status is approved, so that your donation would then be eligible for federal exemption.
It is absolutely vital that we raise funds to continue our mission to serve Kauai with PAL opportunities for the residents of Kauai. I urge you to visit our website at www.nhcdc-hi.org to learn more about us and call or email me if you have any questions. You can donate through the website, write a check or meet with me and our team at any time, to discuss how you can support the righteous and selfless work of Neighborhood Housing CDC.
I believe in Neighborhood Housing CDC. Through your donation and support we can make a difference on Kauai. Thank you for taking part in our great work.
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Jim Edmonds is president of the Neighborhood Housing Community Development Corporation.
