Homeless

By Rev. Dr. (Bishop) James Steele 5/07/2022

MOSAIC, Inc., since its conception over a decade ago, has watched ALL a multitude of various government agencies right to the White House, along with numerous of Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Organizations take Millions, upon Billions of Dollars, ONLY to squander it, leaving the homeless, even more homeless, if society can comprehend how ridiculous this sounds, and IS!!!

However, MOSAIC, Inc., has investigated, analyzed, evaluated this for over an decade, after many organizations have stolen and misrepresented ideas, plans and ideas, only to shoot themselves in the foot by NOT comprehending others creative solutions!!!  Therefore, MOSAIC’s Almond Blossom Community (ABC) is in fact the homeless solution to this homelessness disaster, whereby, we’ll only give the readers a snap-shot / synopsis of the actual overall plan, bringing to one place a broad range of religious, health, education and social services.

MOSAIC’s idea is more than a social service agency. It’s a truly-integrated and interactive community... where people’s needs are met with dignity and compassion... where community includes a wide range of people and activities, services, facilities and activities... and Faith and Worship is central.

In the community we envision, we live and work together to serve GOD and care for each other. The MOSAIC Almond Blossom Community (ABC) demonstrates the high value we place on living in a manner which honors our Faith & Wellbeing, which fosters physical, social and Spiritual health, and where Faith is not separated from daily life.

It’s a new approach to outreach, one which captures the essence of our Faith convictions about outreach, Faith and a “World Faith Groups (WFGs)” lifestyle.

The Challenge

The vision for the MOSAIC Almond Blossom Community arose within the MOSAIC, Inc., 501(c)(3) charitable organization with deep roots in its Missiological WFGs perspective, as well as, an extremely successful track record in delivering help to people in need, the less-fortunate, downtrodden and homeless citizens of our society.

Now we face a monumental task / challenge in answering what we believe is GOD’s call to create the MOSAIC Almond Blossom Community for the homeless and those separately in need. Yet we are thrilled by the opportunity and the enormous possibilities.

Some of America’s leading professionals have helped put on paper what we see in our hearts: architects; health and social service consultants; corporate legal advisors; real estate legal advisors; geotechnical consultants; cost consultants; and planning consultants.

This team has brought us to a crucial point – where we come to you – “The People” with a proven interest in the integration / interaction of life and ministry.

The dynamics of this community is an integrated / interactive and intertwine subdivision in 3 SECTIONS of COMMUNITY LIVING, yet affordable to ALL who want a roof over their head, camaraderie and fellowship, which has been the dilemma of ALL who has tried solving the homelessness problem in the past, and continue to do so, due to GREED!!!  

A focal-point of the ABC neighborhood with be standard affordable homes and structures, community center, fellowship hall, including worship areas that will not discriminate against any Faith, Religion, Color, Culture Heritage, Ethnicity, etc., etc., etc. Conceptually, MOSAIC has already planned this dynamic and fully innovative design concept, even down to the number of support workers & caregivers!!!

MOSAIC, Inc. and Cal-Earth have agreed to a Collaborative Partnership, as Dastan Khalili, President of Cal-Earth Institute wrote “Hello Fr. James Thank you for considering us to join you on the MOSAIC Almond Blossom Community project. We look forward to collaborating with you in creating SuperAdobe dwellings for the benefit of humanity and the environment.”

Cal-Earth

Mission Statement: Cal-Earth, the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture, is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to providing solutions to the human need for shelter through research, development, and education in earth architecture. We envision a world in which every person is empowered to build a safe and sustainable home with their own hands, using the earth under their feet.

OUR WORK

The global housing shortage currently includes some 20-40 million refugees and displaced persons, and hundreds of millions more who live in substandard or slum housing. With compounding environmental challenges and the acceleration of natural and man-made disasters, this shortage will only become more severe in the coming decades.To meet this pressing need, Cal-Earth develops and educates the public in self-help, environmentally sustainable building designs. Houses anyone can build with their own two hands, using locally available earth, sandbags and barbed wire, that meet modern-day standards for safety, beauty, energy efficiency, and comfort.

Cal-Earth’s designs have been studied by NASA, endorsed and used by the United Nations, featured in countless world media outlets, and awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Our Superadobe building system (U.S. Patent #5,934,027) integrates traditional earth architecture with contemporary global safety requirements, & has passed severe earthquake code tests in California. 

Based in Hesperia, CA, Cal-Earth trains hundreds of people each year through on-site, international, & web-based educational programs. Our alumni have helped share earth building with communities in over 40 countries across the globe, and our workshops have been held on five continents. Youth programs at Cal-Earth foster respect for the environment and an awareness of sustainability practices.

In all that we do, we strive to honor our late founder Nader Khalili’s vision of an architecture based on the natural elements of earth, water, air, and fire, and their unity at the service of humanity and to continue his mission to provide shelter for the world’s homeless and displaced persons, empower people to participate in the creation of their own homes and communities, and help preserve the planet that we all share.

CALEARTH AND RUMI

Many find it interesting that there is a strong connection between CalEarth and the poetry of Rumi, a Persian mystic who lived over 800 years ago. There is a Rumi Dome on site, books of poetry for sale in the bookstore, and Rumi stories shared during the Open House, but what's the origin of this connection? The founder of CalEarth, Nader Khalili (1936-2008) looked to Rumi for inspiration through most of his adult life, and remnants of this inspiration can be found in many of the buildings and designs.

For 25 years, Nader Khalili’s specialty as an architect was skyscrapers. Then at thirty-eight, his turning point in life, he “… bought a motorcycle and went to the desert for five years in Iran to see what the solution was for sheltering the poor in the world and to learn from what already existed. There [he] got to know five personalities: earth, water, air, fire and Rumi, the 800 year old Persian mystic poet... " Rumi taught him the unity of these universal elements, forming his "Archemy" — architecture and alchemy. Water is fire, earth is water, and there is a unity in all elements.

In Rumi, Dancing the Flame, Khalili wrote, “I have also discovered, dealing with these universal elements for my own earth-and-fire architecture, that Rumi, more than any other individual has dealt with fire and water, or earth and wind, and yet no one to my knowledge has looked at Rumi’s life and works through these elements. I have been blessed by making my life’s work following this narrow stream springing from the ocean that is Rumi.”

In addition to his revolutionary earth architecture and Superadobe techniques, a great part of his life’s work was translating Rumi’s Rubaiyat and Diwan-i Shams-i Tabrizi. “In the last seven hundred years many millions have lit their candles from Rumi’s fire and I feel I am one of them—awake or dreaming.

NADER KHALILI’S DREAMS OF RUMI

“Rumi’s poems, in Persian, have been whispered in my ears for over fifty years. The endless ocean of his sixty-five thousand couplet-verses have blessed my own creative work, letting me search for fire in its tranquil waters for two decades. And I have been graced by his visit in my dreams which bestowed on me enough courage to enter his words: In my dream Rumi is standing in the street, next to the curb, with several companions. The young and jovial Rumi, is about twenty-eight, round-faced, with a full head of curlicue hair. He is wearing a blue-grey suit and wearing a white shirt with the last button undone, and is a firm, healthy five-foot-five, looking younger than his age. His smile is surely the most striking feature to his physical presence. A smile brimming with quest, humbleness, victory, needlessness, and love.

I smile at him. I am standing on the sidewalk, desperately wanting to go forward and meet him, but the man next to him is my enemy. This man is young Rumi’s guide for the tour of our city. He is the only man I have known in my life who hates me as much as I once hated him. Thus my meeting Rumi seems impossible. Until seconds late, when in my dream I declare to my heart and God that I am ready to go and beg my enemy’s pardon, just so that I can have a chance to meet Rumi. No sooner do I make this wish than I find Rumi sitting next to me.

We are kneeling next to a low table, on adjoining sides, and looking at a large paper filled with Persian calligraphy. All along I keep looking at his face, at his smile, and feel more at ease in my body and soul. I lower my head with shyness and say: “These are your poems. I have calligraphed all my favorite ones on this paper.”  He looks at them for a long time, then takes the pen from my hand, and right in the middle of the paper, over a couple of the Persian words adds 3 or 4 missing dots. He then smiles and says, “Ah, these poems!”

I look at him, smile, & say, “But the verse I love the best is not here.”

“What verse is that?” “Aab kam ju teshnegi aavar bedast, seek not water, seek thirst.” He smiles and says, “That one is my favorite one too.” And I wake up.  – Nader Khalili, Rumi, Fountain of Fire

The best way to learn about SuperAdobe is to experience it in real life!  What is a SuperAdobe???

SuperAdobe: Powerful Simplicity

SuperAdobe is a form of earth bag architecture developed by architect & CalEarth founder Nader Khalili. Using long sandbags ("SuperAdobe Bags"), barbed wire, on-site earth and a few tools, Khalili devised a revolutionary building system that integrates traditional earth architecture with contemporary global safety requirements, and passes severe earthquake code tests in CA.

This technology has been published by NASA, endorsed by the United Nations, featured in countless world media outlets, and awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004. It comes from years of meditation, hands-on research and development. Inspired by traditional earth architecture in the deserts of Iran and adapted for modern usage. Simplified so that anyone can build!!!

Manufactured housing (commonly known as mobile homes in the United States) is a type of prefabricated housing that is largely assembled in factories and then transported to sites of use. The definition of the term in the United States is regulated by federal law (Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR 3280): "Manufactured homes are built as dwelling units of at least 320 square feet (30 m2) in size with a permanent chassis to assure the initial and continued transportability of the home."[1] The requirement to have a wheeled chassis permanently attached differentiates "manufactured housing" from other types of prefabricated homes, such as modular homes.

Definition

According to the Manufactured Housing Institute’s National Communities Council (MHINCC), manufactured homes[2] are homes built entirely in the factory under a federal building code administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (commonly known as the HUD Code) went into effect June 15, 1976. Manufactured homes may be single- or multi-section and are transported to the site and installed.

The MHINCC distinguishes among several types of factory-built housing: manufactured homes, modular homes, panelized homes, pre-cut homes, and mobile homes.

From the same source, mobile home "is the term used for manufactured homes produced prior to June 15, 1976, when the HUD Code went into effect."[2] Despite the formal definition, mobile home and trailer are still common terms in United States for this type of housing.

Modular Home in essence means:

A modular home is any home factory-built to a local state code. In some cases, a state may have adopted one of the uniform construction codes (i.e. UBC, IRC, etc.). Modular homes will not have the red Certification Label, but will have a label attached to the home stating the code it was built to.

Manufactured Home in essence means:

A manufactured home is any home factory-built in the U.S. to the HUD Title 6 construction standards (commonly known as ‘the HUD-code’). The HUD-code took effect June 15, 1976. A HUD-coded home will display documentation called the Certification Label and the Data Plate.

History

The original focus of this form of housing was its ability to relocate easily. Units were initially marketed primarily to people whose lifestyle required mobility. However, beginning in the 1950s, these homes began to be marketed primarily as an inexpensive form of housing designed to be set up and left in a location for long periods of time, or even permanently installed with a masonry foundation. Previously, units had been eight feet or less in width, but in 1956, the 10-foot (3.0 m) wide home was introduced. This helped solidify the line between mobile and house/travel trailers, since the smaller units could be moved simply with an automobile, but the larger, wider units required the services of a professional trucking company. In the 1960s and '70s, the homes became even longer and wider, making the mobility of the units more difficult. Today, when a factory-built home is moved to a location, it is usually kept there permanently. The mobility of the units has decreased considerably.

The factory-built homes of the past developed a negative stereotype because of their lower cost and the tendency for their value to depreciate more quickly than site-built homes. The tendency of these homes to rapidly depreciate in resale value made using them as collateral for loans far riskier than traditional home loans. Loan terms were usually limited to less than the 30-year term typical of the general home-loan market, and interest rates were considerably higher. In other words, these home loans resembled motor vehicle loans far more than traditional home mortgages. They have been consistently linked to lower-income families, which has led to prejudice and zoning restrictions, which include limitations on the number and density of homes permitted on any given site, minimum size requirements, limitations on exterior colors and finishes, and foundation mandates.

Many jurisdictions do not allow the placement of any additional factory-built homes, while others have strongly limited or forbidden all single-wide models, which tend to depreciate in value more rapidly than modern double-wide models. The derogatory concept of a "trailer park" is typically older single-wide homes occupying small, rented lots and remaining on wheels, even if the home stays in place for decades.

Modern Manufactured Homes

Modern homes, especially modular homes, belie this image and can be identical in appearance to site-built homes. Newer homes, particularly double-wides, tend to be built to much higher standards than their predecessors. This has led to a reduction in the rate of value depreciation of many used units.

Although great strides have been made in terms of quality, manufactured homes do still struggle with construction problems. Author Wes Johnson has pointed out that the HUD code which governs manufactured homes desperately needs to be updated, quality control at manufacturing facilities are often lax, and set-up issues often compromise even a well-made manufactured home. Johnson states buyers need to be exceptionally cautious if they are entertaining the idea of purchasing any manufactured home by carefully checking it for defects before signing the contract and supervising the set-up process closely. These homes in the modern age are built to be beautiful and last longer than the typical old trailers.

When FEMA studied the destruction wrought by Hurricane Andrew in Dade County Florida, they concluded that modular and masonry homes fared best compared to other construction.[3]

High-performance manufactured housing

While manufactured homes are considered to be affordable housing, older models can be some of the most expensive in the nation to heat due to energy inefficiency.[4] High-performance manufactured housing uses less energy and therefore increases life-cycle affordability by decreasing operating costs. High-performance housing is not only energy efficient, but also attractive, functional, water-efficient, resilient to wind, seismic forces, and moisture penetration, and has healthy indoor environmental quality. Achieving high-performance involves integrated, whole building design, involving many components, not one single technology. High–performance manufactured housing should also include energy efficient appliances, such as Energy Star qualified appliances.[4] Energy Star requires ample insulation: 2x6 walls: R21, roof: R40, floor: R33.

Difference from modular homes

Both types of homes - manufactured and modular - are commonly referred to as factory-built housing, but they are not identical. Modular homes are built to IRC code. Modular homes can be transported on flatbed trucks rather than being towed, and can lack axles and an automotive-type frame. However, some modular houses are towed behind a semi-truck or toter on a frame similar to that of a trailer. The house is usually in two pieces and is hauled by two separate trucks. Each frame has five or more axles, depending on the size of the house. Once the house has reached its location, the axles and the tongue of the frame are then removed, and the house is set on a concrete foundation by a large crane. Some modern modular homes, once fully assembled, are indistinguishable from site-built homes. In addition, modular homes:

• must conform to the same local, state and regional building codes as homes built on-site;
• are treated the same by banks as homes built on-site. They are easily refinanced, for example;
• must be structurally approved by inspectors;
• can be of any size, although the block sections from which they are assembled are uniformly sized;[5]

Difference from IRC codes homes (site built)

Manufactured homes have several standard requirements that are more stringent than International Residential Code homes.

Fire Protection

A National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) study from July 2011 shows that occurrence of fires is lower in manufactured housing and the injury rate is lower in manufactured housing. The justification behind the superior fire safety is due to the following higher standard requirements:

• The HUD standard requires a flame spread of 25 or less in water heater and furnace compartments.
• The HUD standard requires a flame spread of 50 or less on the wall behind the range.
• The HUD standard requires a flame spread of 75 or less on the ceilings.
• The HUD standard requires a flame spread of 25 or less to protect the bottoms and side of kitchen cabinets around the range.
• The HUD standard requires additional protection of cabinets above the range.
• The HUD standard requires trim larger than 6" to meet flame spread requirements.
• The HUD standard requires smoke detectors in the general living area.
• The HUD standard requires 2 exterior doors.
• The HUD standard requires bedroom doors to be within 35 feet of an exterior door.

Construction Process

A manufactured home is built entirely inside a huge, climate-controlled factory by a team of craftsmen. The first step in the process is the flooring, which is built in sections, each attached to a permanent chassis with its own wheels and secured for transport upon the home’s completion. Depending on the size of the house and the floorplan’s layout, there may be two, three or even four sections. The flooring sections have heating, electrical and plumbing connections pre-installed before they are finished with laminate, tile or hardwood. Next, the walls are constructed on a flat level surface with insulation and interior Sheetrock before being lifted by crane into position and secured to the floor sections. The interior ceilings and roof struts are next, vapor sealed and secured to each section’s wall frame before being shingled. Then, the exterior siding is added, along with the installation of doors & windows. Finally, interior finishing, such as sealing the drywall, is completed, along with fixture installation and finishing the electrical and plumbing connections. The exposed portions of each section, where they will eventually be joined together, are wrapped in plastic to protect them for transport.

With all the building site prep work completed, the building will be delivered by trucks towing the individual sections on their permanent chassis. The sections will be joined together securely, and all final plumbing and electrical connections are made before a decorative skirt or facade is applied to the bottom exterior of the house, hiding the chassis and finishing off the look of the home.

Inside, paint and carpet are finished to design specifications, then the home is cleaned thoroughly. [9]

References

1. ^ "HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)". portal.hud.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b "What is a Manufactured Home?" Manufactured Housing Institute's National Communities Council, accessed 6 July 2011 Archived 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ "FIA 22, Mitigation Assessment Team Report: Hurricane Andrew in Florida (1993) - FEMA.gov". www.fema.gov.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b Environmental and Energy Study Institute. "Issue Brief: High-Performance Manufactured Housing". Retrieved August 2, 2011.
5. ^ https://homenation.com/mobile-vs-modular/ Modular home vs Manufactured home
6. ^ "2011 Coldwell Banker U.S. Home Listing Report". Coldwell Banker. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
7. ^ "Bay Area May Home Sales, Median Price Inch Up From April; Fall below 2010". DataQuick. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
8. ^ "Sunnyvale Model Home". Alliance Manufactured Homes. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
9. ^ "How Are Manufactured Homes Built? - Manufactured Homes". www.manufacturedhomes.com.