Our Mission
Our Values
"Providing homes and sustainable living solutions within reach, restoring hope for the people of Hawai'i."
At PAL, we believe that in order to achieve true affordability it is essential to develop homes that:
minimize energy costs
are cost-effective to construct and maintain over the building’s “life-cycle"
Therefore, the need for strategies to aid the construction of affordable buildings to enhance sustainability cannot be overemphasized.
At PAL, our values define who we are as an organization and guide the way we work with our partners, within our communities, and with each other.
We have a deep commitment to our mission. We work hard to create the best and most realistic outcomes for our communities and stakeholders, and we have fun doing it.
We respect, trust, and empathize with people from all walks of life. We see value in different backgrounds and skills. United by our values and passion to facilitate opportunity for underserved communities.
Our Approach
We are redefining “Affordability” to include ALL the primary components of truly affordable living. In addition to housing, affordable LIVING also requires food, utilities, transportation, wellness / healthcare, and sources of income.
Our vision includes making all of these essential components both affordable in “normal” conditions, and also resilient to the inevitable changes that come into each of our lives, both the expected and the unexpected changes. “It is not a disaster if you are prepared for it!” Our vision is an affordable and comfortable quality of life that is permanently enjoyed, throughout the entire life-cycle.
We believe in accountability and operate with the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
We embrace collaboration. It is the cornerstone of our organization. The connections we foster with our board members, executive team, government partners, and like-minded organizations is crucial to developing quality projects, in turn making a positive and lasting impact on the communities we serve.
Our History
Officially, Neighborhood Housing Community Development Corporation received it’s 501(c)(3) status on November 14, 2018. Shortly after, we created our DBA PAL Kaua’i to reflect the heart of our organization - creating resilient communities using innovative techniques and concepts to lower the cost of living for Kaua'i Residents.
Founder, Jim Edmonds, and founding Board Member, Greg Crowe, have been affordable housing advocates for decades. Jim's awareness of the need for truly affordable housing started when he was a Real Estate Broker, focusing his business model to help local people. Greg's interest in affordable housing was sparked as a young man helping his father develop subdivisions. Through this experience, Greg developed a deep knowledge of sustainable building practices with the goal of developing high quality, sustainable housing, at an affordable price. Both Jim and Greg have been helping others and advocating for Permanently Affordable Living (PAL) in their own way, long before they met.
Being determined to do something about this "Gradual Tragedy", Jim and Greg both attended County of Kauai Council and Housing meetings on a regular basis. They had met at many different meetings and their common interest and passion sparked a relationship that would eventually lead to PAL Kaua'i. PAL Kaua'i's Principles, contained in our mission statement, vision and initiatives, are conceived from the discussions between Jim and Greg and their sincere efforts to solve the affordable housing crisis on Kauai.
Meet Our Team
Executive Director
& Founder's Message
Jim Edmonds, Executive Director and Co-founder explains the "Catch 33" facing Hawai'i residents. It's like a catch 22, but worse. How do we fix it?
Board Members
Experience & Dedication with Aloha
Leilani Spencer
President
Jim Edmonds
Executive Director & Founder
Harvest Edmonds
Treasurer
Glenn Head
Board Member
Puna Dawson
Secretary
Janice Bond
Board Member
Executive Team Members
Taylor Kaluahine Reid
Associate Executive Director
Larry Graff
Chief Operating Officer
Racquel Segato- Figueroa
Development Associate
Brian Alston
Property Assets &
Programs Director
Advisory Committee
Stephen Spears, Affordable Housing Kaua'i
Ben Welborn, Kaua'i Path Inc.
Parker Croft, Architect
Tod Hansen, Retired Foundation Counsel
Greg Crow, Chandas LP
Will You Join Us? Kaua'i, the Garden Island, is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Anywhere else you live, if you can’t find a HOME you move down the road. In Hawai'i, if your family has been here for generations and you can’t afford a home, you are forced to leave your ancestral homeland and your multi-generational family is torn apart!
We believe in taking urgent action in order to address the housing emergency facing the residents of Kaua'i. Please join us and support our efforts to make a measurable difference by helping to provide housing that makes sense for our neighbors, our family, our friends, and our businesses on our precious Garden Island.
