Kauai, Hawaii
January 5–13, 2010
Help people who live in paradise but are in serious need of adequate housing. There is a shortage of affordable housing in Hawaii because the cost of living is so high. Help alleviate this problem while experiencing some of the island culture and recreational opportunities.
About Kauai
Kauai is a rural tropical island, the northernmost of the Hawaiian Island chain. Its population is approximately 56,000. The island is small, only 25 miles wide and 33 miles long. Kauai’s main economic industries are agriculture and tourism. Kauai is an ethnically diverse community with Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, black, white, Samoan and Tahitian residents.
With the influx of affluent tourist and vacation homes and rentals, however, the cost of living and housing in Kauai has increased dramatically. There is a consistent shortage of housing for local residents and an even more dramatic shortage of affordable housing for low-income families. The average single-family home price is $477,500, and the median income for a family of four is $56,100. Most working-class families cannot afford to own their own homes.
The island has a large homeless problem, with many families living on the beach, in their cars, in carports or with relatives. Working-class families also cannot find homes to rent, and purchasing a home is not possible.
About Kauai Habitat for Humanity
Kauai Habitat for Humanity's mission is to eliminate substandard housing and in the process, improve communities. Kauai Habitat was formed in 1993 and has built more than 100 homes to date. Kauai Habitat works with many families who make less than $20,000 annually for a family of four and can only afford $416 a month for rent. It most recently launched the Ele'ele Project, which will include an additional 100 homes. Learn more at http://www.kauaihabitat.org/.
Types of construction for volunteers
A variety of new construction awaits volunteers. The houses are wood-frame structures commonly found in the United States.
Itinerary
Day 1, January 5: Arrive at the Lihue airport on Kauai; dinner and team meeting.
Days 2–5, January 6–9: Orientation; workday. Breakfast before traveling to worksite; work from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. with lunch on site; free time after work to clean up; time for team activities. Special events throughout the week include local activities and a community dinner.
Day 6, January 10: Recreation and cultural activities.
Day 7, January 11: Workday.
Day 8, January 12: Recreation and cultural activities.
Day 9, January 13: Depart from Lihue airport.
Accommodations
The lodging facility in Kauai is called Kahili Mountain and is located on the outskirts of town. It is a retreat area with rustic cabins, showers and mini-kitchenettes in some cabins. The cabins are nestled in the shadows of some of the most majestic mountains on the island.
Trip cost
$1,220
Trip cost includes: donation to the Habitat host program and HFHI; meals; accommodations; transport (excluding trip participant airfare); medical emergency evacuation and trip cancellation insurance; some local cultural activities and team coordination and orientation materials. The team leader’s trip cost and estimated airfare may be included in the trip budget. The trip cost does not include trip participant airfare, R&R activities or visa and exit fees (not applicable for all destinations).
Team leaders
Kurt Love has led two previous Habitat teams to Kauai. He has also led a team in Malawi and a team in Mobile, Alabama, after Hurricane Katrina. He participated on teams in Ghana and in Oakland, California. Kurt is an assistant professor of teacher education at Central Connecticut State University.
Charlie Cocores was a high school psychology teacher and ran a psychology-based outdoor education program. He now works at Connecticut College in the education department and also teaches psychology at another nearby college. He has volunteered with Habitat in Honduras and Guatemala. He traveled to Hawaii for research in the past and made a mini-documentary about the native poor living on the beaches.
For more information about this GV trip, please send an e-mail to hfhhawaii10@gmail.com.