it was important to provided the following functionality: • An ultra-low cost, one-time investment, permanent solution system for individuals that have been chronically homeless thereby providing a permanent alternative to homeless shelters or tent cities; • Accommodate a year-round residential population; • Provide the potential for self-sufficient living including major life needs: food, water, power and shelter; • Accommodate temporary and short-term increases in residential populations to serve a regional increase in the homeless population and/or crisis affected populations (that could come from a regional natural disaster such as hurricane Katrina); • Accommodate training and social service offerings on-site; • Convertibility functions in housing, water, sewer and power systems to accommodate the rapid increase or decrease in temporary populations; • Be a system that could be replicated and scaled down to vacant residential lots or scaled up to large sub-division style communities. This design system is a breakthrough because it combines highly efficient and low cost appropriate technology to provide a permanent solution to the issue of chronic homelessness by developing small residential homestead lots that can provide ultra-affordable housing solutions that will offer the resident the option of maintaining it as a self sufficient homestead. The additional breakthrough of this design is that by using intelligent design and an anticipatory preparedness model, these communities have a built in ability to also serve as crisis centers during emergencies with the ability to significantly increase residential populations in a 2-8 hour deployment time.

Describe the critical need your solution addresses.

Currently the MiCom is the prototype of this system approach. Approximately 30 acres of land has been secured and the development team is being formed to implement this design concept in real-life, real-time. The current project will attempt to develop a multi-community Convertible Community which will include four sub-communities. The entire project will eventually include 100 land-lots with the ability to support an additional 150 lots during times of crisis. In the next three years we anticipate being able to develop three of the four sub-communities with 75 total land lots. We also anticipate that 50 of those lots will be producing food in sufficient quantities to support the residential tenant. We further anticipate having a fully functioning training center incorporated on-site allowing this facility to serve as a learning laboratory for further development of convertible communities. The prize money would be used for several purposes which would include developing the Hexayurt design into a modular kit package that would include the modular addition of a solar power kit and a modular plumbing connection system. It would also be used to develop design and training manuals to document the process for use in replicating this system into other communities.

Explain your initiative in more depth and its stage of development.

• Comprehensive — We provide shelter, water, power and food solutions in an ultra-affordable one-time investment model for eradicating homelessness.
• Anticipatory — We anticipate a growing homeless population and an increasing strain on the social service sector. We reduce the ongoing burden associated with homeless services and increases community capacity to meet needs of a growing homeless population. We offer a packaged system offering a one-time investment solution.
• Ecologically responsible — We maximize the use of renewable resources and sustainability practices, minimize damage to the environment and increase the vibrancy of the lives of residents.
• Feasible — The market provides the appropriate technology to complete this project. Our design makes this a practical solution.
• Verifiable — This project is beginning the prototype phase and will be able to provide actual cost and actual implementation and use data.
• Replicable — This system can be scaled from small lots to large residential developments.

How does your strategy and approach respond creatively and comprehensively to key issues?

LaRahna Hughes has a background of over 15 years in non-profit program development and has worked to provide permanent solutions to social issues using a model that involves both personal responsibility and social support. Her success in effectively providing solutions makes her an excellent candidate to undertake this project.

Vinay Gupta has a background in appropriate technology design. His ability to provide affordable housing solutions and Vital Systems Mapping for individuals will allow us to tackle the root issues that cause homelessness.