Hawaii Public Radio: Local nonprofit offers hundreds of tiny homes and RVs to displaced Lahaina residents

One Lāhainā nonprofit is making strides to keep displaced Lāhainā residents self-sufficient and staying in the area.

Regenerative Education Centers is working to bring in hundreds of tiny homes and RVs to house Lāhainā residents who lost their homes to the fire.

Executive Director Eddy Garcia is a farmer and has lived off-grid for years. Now, he’s bringing the goal of self-sufficiency to those in need.

“What I can give the best to most folks in my area is set them up with RVs and tiny homes that are completely self-sufficient with solar systems on them, with pumpable bathrooms," Garcia said. "And that allows them actually to get back to their property and be able to rebuild on it once the process is opened up for it to be safe.

"So we're donating those 100% for free for people, there's no strings attached to it. I thought that was a good way to be able to give back to my community and help keep the people of Lāhainā, in Lāhainā.”

Garcia said his original goal was to provide 20 tiny homes to families on his Olowalu farm just outside Lāhainā. Then, the goal increased to 200 homes. But he said they already have the resources and materials for nearly 150 units. The goal is now to provide 2,000 tiny homes and RVs.

Through partnerships with other organizations and businesses, RVs arriving to Maui will offer housing to about a dozen people in the next couple of weeks.

Applicants are vetted by need and generational ties to Lāhainā.

All the units are mobile so once Lāhainā residents can get back on their land, they can move the tiny homes to their own property while they rebuild.

Regenerative Education Centers is also putting $10,000 per week toward feeding families in need on the Olowalu property over the next year. Much of that food will be locally grown, Garcia said.

“People that are victims of the fire will be able to come and eat at this food truck for free all year," Garcia said.

"We're going to be feeding people, housing people and then people will also be able to come here on site, look at the house that's being built for them. Help have some input while they have a place to use the internet and perhaps even spend some time on the regenerative farms and have a little bit of peace of mind," he continued.

Ultimately, Garcia hopes people can get back on their own land in Lāhainā. In the meantime, he wants to create ways for those displaced to stay in the area rather than move away.

“What I know of Lāhainā is the people that have been here for generations," Garcia said.

"Everything we know is around that. And so if people don't have an easy way to come back to their land, to be close to it to start to rebuild and reclaim, it will be easier for them to leave elsewhere.”

Hawaii Public Radio, “Local nonprofit offers hundreds of tiny homes and RVs to displaced Lahaina residents,” August 31, 2023