According to the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty, there were 1,750,000 Americans without homes or enough income to feed themselves and their family. Reno is not an exception, but we can set an example and pioneer the solution on a national front. All across the country, cities are experiencing higher rates of homeless and underserved populations due to the increase in living costs
everywhere. Many people assume that the cause of homelessness is laziness or lack of work ethic. We know this to be untrue. It is virtually impossible for a homeless individual with a clean record to obtain a job for the simple fact that a) they don't have a satisfying residential address to provide an employer b) many don't have numbers that they can be contacted at by an employer c) most applications are online these days and access to a computer or the internet isn't exactly high on the priority list when one is in survival mode. We all understand the issue at hand and there is no need to beat a dead horse. so what can we do about it? We already have rehabilitation programs working out of the shelters in the area to help individuals and families get cleaned up and fed and placed in some jobs. We have several programs throughout the week that provide food to the economically handicapped community. What we are proposing at Pedal for Autonomy is a way to make all of these things unnecessary while simultaneously SOLVING the issue at hand. The beginning step is simple. We build a pedicab business. The Morris Burner Hotel has offered space to base the Pedal for Autonomy Project. We have also spoken with the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission and they are happy to recommend graduates from their program for employment. Drivers of the pedicabs will be required to meet the ordinances and criteria of the city and will need drivers' licenses and pedicab permits to operate within the program and will be able to keep 40% of their fare on shift. The 60% that goes to the business is recycled back into P4A to cover costs for cab maintenance, insurance, and project growth. The pedicabs themselves will not be the boring, run-of-the mill boxes on wheels. Of course we have to do this with Reno style! We will be reaching out to local artists like Eric Shapiro and Pan Pantosio, and the inspirational work done by Matt Schultz and the crew at the Generator, as well as other local artists from Reno and the Burning Man community to provide an eco- friendly but beautifully artistic transit experience for visitors and residents alike to enjoy while meandering through the streets of the Biggest Little City. We are currently drafting federal and state grant applications to help get this project off the ground, and will be filming an informative video for a GoFundMe campaign this evening to reach out to the community for assistance in launching this project. Our goal is to have a fleet of 20 pedicabs and 30-40 full-time jobs. The projected cost for this segment of Pedal for Autonomy is $38,000. We have created entry-level jobs. Now, what about that affordable housing? As I was walking through the streets of Reno I passed a large plot of land where the Mizpah Hotel was located before it burned to the ground. The unused space inspired me to create a use for it. The Mizpah Memorial Tiny Home Community. What is a tiny home? A minimalist domicile with everything a family needs for a happy home. Building is low cost--$5000 per house, and the buildings themselves can be created sustainable and draw little to no environmental or fiscal resources. The idea is to place the underserved in jobs and those that complete a trial period can graduate to the "Tiny House Incentive". The THI can create MORE jobs by allowing for "paid internships" underneath the designated city builders. Tiny homes are a great entry level learning opportunity for anyone 18-30 that want to learn job skills. Each home will be designed with "green in mind" and will have solar power and vertical aquaponic systems for growing food. A community of 25-30 tiny homes can house people in the program and can produce enough food to not only feed that community, but the rest of the community in Reno as well. By designating a 1-year lease per each family or individual in the community at $200/mo, each tiny home pays for it's own construction in approximately 2 years and covers utility costs (water). Of course when I say we can build tiny homes, I mean doing it with that Reno flair and create an artistic housing community and garden that is as beautiful as it is productive and problem solving. I would also like to reach out to the casinos and local businesses in Reno to provide them an opportunity to help sponsor this movement in exchange for artistic advertising that visitors will see and know that they are contributing to the effort to create fair and autonomous opportunity for all residents of the city. We would love to have a partnership with the city of Reno in this endeavor to pioneer a viable solution to this current national crisis and set the example to the rest of the nation in how to create sustainable solutions where everyone can benefit and bring artistry and style to the problem-solving table.
