Is the concept of TRANSITIONAL to PERMANENT shelters correct for Haiti?
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Edison Kiela
Jul 30, 2010, 4:57:58 PM7/30/10
to Shelter Solution for Haiti
While many well-meaning relief organizations and commercial operations
have come to aid in Haiti's relief efforts there are many pot-holes
which still remain uncovered to help house the thousands of families
in Haiti who still do not have adequate shelter six months
later...Why?
I offer two reasons why: Economics and Inertia of Thought.
Over the last week I have been in touch with Sean Penn's JP HRO
program via Alastair Lamb and recently with Lucien Lefcourt of Shelter
Haiti 2010. The following is an edited and amended copy of the email
I sent to Peter Rees, Director of Shelter Haiti 2010.
Dear Peter,
I have just been in contact with Alastair Lamb (JP HRO Country
Director) regarding my ideas to provide sustainable emergency and
transitional shelters for the people of Haiti.
Having worked for ten years in the South African township of Soweto, I
understand the immense problems you all are faced with in providing
immediate relief to tens of thousands of families in Haiti. I applaud
your humanitarian efforts and I commiserate with your frustrations in
moving things along.
I hope this letter to you along with my ideas for sustainable shelters
will help in some way.
I have read with great interest your IASC website. With my background
of having lived and worked in Soweto for so long I sense that the IASC
may have some very serious problems ahead with its proposed relief
programs. I say this because hundreds of thousands of people's lives
are in your hands and misjudgments done today will cause catastrophic
effects later on.
As one example, your notion that transitional shelters will one day be
replaced as people find permanent homes just will not happen in this
third-world environment. Based on your IASC numbers of 80%
unemployment and ranked as the poorest country in the Western
Hemisphere... transitional shelters need to be looked upon as becoming
permanent shelters.
Economically the people in Haiti will never have enough money to leave
a transitional shelter compound. Economically the world relief
organizations will never have enough money to relocate these people.
Over time the transitional shelter compound will grow and new people
will use whatever materials they can get their hands on and will
convert a well planned transitional shelter compound into a shanty
town with homes made of cardboard and corrugated metal and stone and
mud. Sad to say, but this is the nature of the beast! Plan for it
now...your transitional sites today are your permanent sites of
tomorrow.
The Transitional Shelter Designs that the IASC has approved are
lacking in many ways. The top two problems I see are: the costs to
build each shelter and the method of construction of each shelter.
According to your graphic the IASC estimates Haiti will need 125,000
transitional shelters at a cost of US$ 1,500 each (according to the
IASC Transitional Shelter Parameters) or US$187,500,000...give or take
a few million. I am sure that when you include the costs of land,
improvements, roads, utilities, etc the cost will be over US$ 500
million...maybe even double that. If you are planning to spend this
kind of money on temporary shelter compounds, I would rather see this
kind of money placed towards developing a more permanent settlement.
I cannot see how you justify moving people 3 or 4 times...once from
their existing homes that were destroyed, then to a tent city, then to
a transitional shelter, then to a permanent settlement. From the
Haitians point of view I cannot see them moving so often in the next 3
to 5 years. From an economic point of view, how can you justify the
tremendous expense?
And what happens in the course of the next 3 to 5 years while people
are living in Transitional Shelters and another earthquake or
hurricane catastrophe happens?...start all over again? I imagine that
as resourceful people you have all thought about this, but I just
cannot find your solutions on your websites as a premier issue.
The IASC Transitional Shelter Parameters state; "Correctly orientated
hipped roofs
are more hurricane resistant than gabled roofs. They also reflect
local practice." Yet, as far as I can tell the roof designs of the
shelters the IASC has approved are all gable roofs. Since Haiti is
located in hurricane alley and lies in an earthquake zone it is of
paramount importance that any transitional or permanent shelter be as
resistant as possible to hurricanes and earthquakes...this seems to be
a fundamental design flaw which has been approved by the IASC.
I know that the shear magnitude of building over 100,000 transitional
shelters will be a monumental task. In Soweto there is an ongoing
problem of whenever a new project starts
to be built, materials on the construction site spring legs and walks
away. Security therefore is of paramount importance, yet I cannot
find provisions for site construction security on your site
development programs.
The logistics of housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people,
many who are injured and traumatized, and most who have no income will
test the souls of all the relief agencies.
From my experiences working in the world's largest shanty town I
understand your problems all too well and I am sorry if I have rained
on your parade, but I think this crisis in Haiti requires more
thinking out of the box to provide better and more cost effective
shelters.
When the earthquake happened in Haiti over six months ago I started to
explore ways of providing low-cost emergency relief shelters. The
solutions I found were either too weak as in tent and fabric
structures or with Transitional and Permanent structures, too
expensive or too sophisticated or took too long to build.
I think the basic parameters of providing second tier shelters (after
first providing tent shelters for immediate relief) are to:
1. Create shelters which are very inexpensive that offer maximum
hurricane and earthquake protection..
2. Provide the basic elements of a shelter: relief from the sun and
rain.
3. Create a shelter that is safe, private and secure...and which can
be developed into a Permanent Housing Site.
Once these parameters of a basic shelter are met they need to be
expandable to become permanent homes.
Relocating hundreds of thousands of people to permanent shelters is
prohibitively expensive and in third-world environment you are not
relocating just a family...you are relocating an entire community.
When it comes down to the gist of what we are all doing, we have to
remember that we are not re-building a Western World Suburb after a
disaster. We are attempting to provide basic shelter needs for
residents accustomed to living at Third World standards. We need to
get into their Frame-Of-Mind so as to understand what we can do with
as little as we have to provide the best solution to a problem caused
by a disastrous fluke of nature...and of course politics.
I challenge any provider of Transitional Homes to set up their
"Haitian" home...using local labor, on a site in Haiti and then have
their family...with their own small children, spend the next 36 hours
inside while a wind engine (to simulate a Cat 2 Hurricane) pummels
their home in darkness with wind and rain.
The point I am obviously trying to make is; would the owners and sales
people of all these Transitional Homes for Haiti risk the safety of
their own families to snag a lucrative contract?
Is this Cruel and Unusual Punishment to get a contract? That's for
your heart to figure out.
Is there an alternative?
Based on engineering data I have investigated I have come to the
conclusion that a tubular structure is the most hurricane and
earthquake resistant structure for the cost involved. Be it a concrete
or fiberglass or a foam hybrid pipe, this tubular structure has the
engineering and architectural characteristics to make it an ideal
structure for disaster relief to provide virtually immediate shelter
with long-term expansion possibilities (additions of rooms) .
Not only is a tubular shelter ideal for immediate emergency response,
it can be easily relocated when needed to a permanent site and used as
a permanent shelter.
I found several concept designs drawn up by Michael Janzen which I
think shows the versatility of a tubular structure as an initial
emergency shelter and eventually as a permanent home for people.
I have shared with you several concerns I have on the direction the
relief efforts are going and in return I would very much like to
receive your input on the viability of using such tubular structures
for relief shelters.
If you think the tubular shelter has merit I will pursue sponsorships
to create funds to build and test full-size prototypes.
From the initial research I've done so far I estimate the cost to
build a basic 10 x 16 foot shelter with an 8 foot ceiling around US$
800.
I imagine that each day that goes by without adequate shelters for the
people of Haiti, lives maybe lost. And with the hurricane season upon
us it will be just a matter of time before another natural disaster
strikes and creates another human catastrophe. I know that time is not
on our side.
I wish you all the best in your valiant efforts to help...but I just
hope that you will always keep this foremost in your minds, that the
solutions you propose may help and shelter many thousands of lives, or
your solutions may take the lives of many thousands of people.
Sincerely yours,
Edison Kiela
Attached in the Files section, a two page summary entitled "Tubular
Emergency Shelters".
PS. I can imagine I pissed-off many in the relief organizations and
housing industry...but, maybe it will cause someone to think more to
help with this crisis and the many more to come.
have come to aid in Haiti's relief efforts there are many pot-holes
which still remain uncovered to help house the thousands of families
in Haiti who still do not have adequate shelter six months
later...Why?
I offer two reasons why: Economics and Inertia of Thought.
Over the last week I have been in touch with Sean Penn's JP HRO
program via Alastair Lamb and recently with Lucien Lefcourt of Shelter
Haiti 2010. The following is an edited and amended copy of the email
I sent to Peter Rees, Director of Shelter Haiti 2010.
Dear Peter,
I have just been in contact with Alastair Lamb (JP HRO Country
Director) regarding my ideas to provide sustainable emergency and
transitional shelters for the people of Haiti.
Having worked for ten years in the South African township of Soweto, I
understand the immense problems you all are faced with in providing
immediate relief to tens of thousands of families in Haiti. I applaud
your humanitarian efforts and I commiserate with your frustrations in
moving things along.
I hope this letter to you along with my ideas for sustainable shelters
will help in some way.
I have read with great interest your IASC website. With my background
of having lived and worked in Soweto for so long I sense that the IASC
may have some very serious problems ahead with its proposed relief
programs. I say this because hundreds of thousands of people's lives
are in your hands and misjudgments done today will cause catastrophic
effects later on.
As one example, your notion that transitional shelters will one day be
replaced as people find permanent homes just will not happen in this
third-world environment. Based on your IASC numbers of 80%
unemployment and ranked as the poorest country in the Western
Hemisphere... transitional shelters need to be looked upon as becoming
permanent shelters.
Economically the people in Haiti will never have enough money to leave
a transitional shelter compound. Economically the world relief
organizations will never have enough money to relocate these people.
Over time the transitional shelter compound will grow and new people
will use whatever materials they can get their hands on and will
convert a well planned transitional shelter compound into a shanty
town with homes made of cardboard and corrugated metal and stone and
mud. Sad to say, but this is the nature of the beast! Plan for it
now...your transitional sites today are your permanent sites of
tomorrow.
The Transitional Shelter Designs that the IASC has approved are
lacking in many ways. The top two problems I see are: the costs to
build each shelter and the method of construction of each shelter.
According to your graphic the IASC estimates Haiti will need 125,000
transitional shelters at a cost of US$ 1,500 each (according to the
IASC Transitional Shelter Parameters) or US$187,500,000...give or take
a few million. I am sure that when you include the costs of land,
improvements, roads, utilities, etc the cost will be over US$ 500
million...maybe even double that. If you are planning to spend this
kind of money on temporary shelter compounds, I would rather see this
kind of money placed towards developing a more permanent settlement.
I cannot see how you justify moving people 3 or 4 times...once from
their existing homes that were destroyed, then to a tent city, then to
a transitional shelter, then to a permanent settlement. From the
Haitians point of view I cannot see them moving so often in the next 3
to 5 years. From an economic point of view, how can you justify the
tremendous expense?
And what happens in the course of the next 3 to 5 years while people
are living in Transitional Shelters and another earthquake or
hurricane catastrophe happens?...start all over again? I imagine that
as resourceful people you have all thought about this, but I just
cannot find your solutions on your websites as a premier issue.
The IASC Transitional Shelter Parameters state; "Correctly orientated
hipped roofs
are more hurricane resistant than gabled roofs. They also reflect
local practice." Yet, as far as I can tell the roof designs of the
shelters the IASC has approved are all gable roofs. Since Haiti is
located in hurricane alley and lies in an earthquake zone it is of
paramount importance that any transitional or permanent shelter be as
resistant as possible to hurricanes and earthquakes...this seems to be
a fundamental design flaw which has been approved by the IASC.
I know that the shear magnitude of building over 100,000 transitional
shelters will be a monumental task. In Soweto there is an ongoing
problem of whenever a new project starts
to be built, materials on the construction site spring legs and walks
away. Security therefore is of paramount importance, yet I cannot
find provisions for site construction security on your site
development programs.
The logistics of housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people,
many who are injured and traumatized, and most who have no income will
test the souls of all the relief agencies.
From my experiences working in the world's largest shanty town I
understand your problems all too well and I am sorry if I have rained
on your parade, but I think this crisis in Haiti requires more
thinking out of the box to provide better and more cost effective
shelters.
When the earthquake happened in Haiti over six months ago I started to
explore ways of providing low-cost emergency relief shelters. The
solutions I found were either too weak as in tent and fabric
structures or with Transitional and Permanent structures, too
expensive or too sophisticated or took too long to build.
I think the basic parameters of providing second tier shelters (after
first providing tent shelters for immediate relief) are to:
1. Create shelters which are very inexpensive that offer maximum
hurricane and earthquake protection..
2. Provide the basic elements of a shelter: relief from the sun and
rain.
3. Create a shelter that is safe, private and secure...and which can
be developed into a Permanent Housing Site.
Once these parameters of a basic shelter are met they need to be
expandable to become permanent homes.
Relocating hundreds of thousands of people to permanent shelters is
prohibitively expensive and in third-world environment you are not
relocating just a family...you are relocating an entire community.
When it comes down to the gist of what we are all doing, we have to
remember that we are not re-building a Western World Suburb after a
disaster. We are attempting to provide basic shelter needs for
residents accustomed to living at Third World standards. We need to
get into their Frame-Of-Mind so as to understand what we can do with
as little as we have to provide the best solution to a problem caused
by a disastrous fluke of nature...and of course politics.
I challenge any provider of Transitional Homes to set up their
"Haitian" home...using local labor, on a site in Haiti and then have
their family...with their own small children, spend the next 36 hours
inside while a wind engine (to simulate a Cat 2 Hurricane) pummels
their home in darkness with wind and rain.
The point I am obviously trying to make is; would the owners and sales
people of all these Transitional Homes for Haiti risk the safety of
their own families to snag a lucrative contract?
Is this Cruel and Unusual Punishment to get a contract? That's for
your heart to figure out.
Is there an alternative?
Based on engineering data I have investigated I have come to the
conclusion that a tubular structure is the most hurricane and
earthquake resistant structure for the cost involved. Be it a concrete
or fiberglass or a foam hybrid pipe, this tubular structure has the
engineering and architectural characteristics to make it an ideal
structure for disaster relief to provide virtually immediate shelter
with long-term expansion possibilities (additions of rooms) .
Not only is a tubular shelter ideal for immediate emergency response,
it can be easily relocated when needed to a permanent site and used as
a permanent shelter.
I found several concept designs drawn up by Michael Janzen which I
think shows the versatility of a tubular structure as an initial
emergency shelter and eventually as a permanent home for people.
I have shared with you several concerns I have on the direction the
relief efforts are going and in return I would very much like to
receive your input on the viability of using such tubular structures
for relief shelters.
If you think the tubular shelter has merit I will pursue sponsorships
to create funds to build and test full-size prototypes.
From the initial research I've done so far I estimate the cost to
build a basic 10 x 16 foot shelter with an 8 foot ceiling around US$
800.
I imagine that each day that goes by without adequate shelters for the
people of Haiti, lives maybe lost. And with the hurricane season upon
us it will be just a matter of time before another natural disaster
strikes and creates another human catastrophe. I know that time is not
on our side.
I wish you all the best in your valiant efforts to help...but I just
hope that you will always keep this foremost in your minds, that the
solutions you propose may help and shelter many thousands of lives, or
your solutions may take the lives of many thousands of people.
Sincerely yours,
Edison Kiela
Attached in the Files section, a two page summary entitled "Tubular
Emergency Shelters".
PS. I can imagine I pissed-off many in the relief organizations and
housing industry...but, maybe it will cause someone to think more to
help with this crisis and the many more to come.
Andrew Merton
Aug 4, 2010, 1:41:36 PM8/4/10
to Shelter Solution for Haiti
We are a commercial company based in the UK and we have supplied
prefabricated buildings in over 40 countries since 1965
We agree with Edison that transitional shelters need to be regarded as
becoming permanent shelters. Conport solutions for Haiti have been
designed to evolve from transitional to permanent structures, and we
have examples which have been in use for more than 40 years..
Conport buildings can also be moved with no loss of materials,
although the best solution is to erect them on a permanent site in the
first place.
We believe that ALL elements of a building, not just the frame, must
be designed to stay in position in a hurricane. You don't want roof
sheets and wall panels flying all over the place in a hurricane. In
Conport buildings the cladding and fixings are designed as integral
parts of the structure.
Andrew Merton, Conport Structures Ltd
prefabricated buildings in over 40 countries since 1965
We agree with Edison that transitional shelters need to be regarded as
becoming permanent shelters. Conport solutions for Haiti have been
designed to evolve from transitional to permanent structures, and we
have examples which have been in use for more than 40 years..
Conport buildings can also be moved with no loss of materials,
although the best solution is to erect them on a permanent site in the
first place.
We believe that ALL elements of a building, not just the frame, must
be designed to stay in position in a hurricane. You don't want roof
sheets and wall panels flying all over the place in a hurricane. In
Conport buildings the cladding and fixings are designed as integral
parts of the structure.
Andrew Merton, Conport Structures Ltd
Edison Kiela
Aug 6, 2010, 9:28:28 PM8/6/10
to Shelter Solution for Haiti
Dear Andrew,
It is comforting to hear from people like you that my belief that
transitional shelters need to be designed in such a way as to make
them fast and easy to assemble as transitional shelters which are
strong enough to withstand at least a Cat 2 Hurricane and are then
able to be transformed into permanent housing.
The relocation logistics may require a T-shelter to be moved to a
permanent site and as such it has to be easily transportable, even
after years of use, without falling apart...or having so many pieces
which need to be re-assembled. Relocating one or a hundred such
shelters may be a bit of work, but relocating 20,000 or 100,000 T-
shelters which have pieces missing or damaged in transit or just plain
stolen will be an unsurmountable nightmare.
While I and others truly believe our T-shelters are the best
design...only time and a big hurricane will tell...it would help us
all if you also post on this forum your website showing how your
shelters look and work and cost, and how they can transit from a T-
shelter to a permanent home.
I admit my Tubular Shelter idea is presently a concept, but I am
working to find funding to build several prototypes in Haiti to see
how well my ideas can come together.
And I understand that a T-shelter company will have lots to gain if it
is finally selected as the best solution...which I know many such
shelters are already on the ground being used by people. Possibly,
several shelter companies will be selected to finish off the over
100,000 shelters required. But then we have two interesting problems.
ONE: If several T-shelter companies are selected to finish off the
required 100,000 plus shelters it will create a scenario of giving the
people (NGO's and such) the best possible price...the biggest bang for
the buck. But, over time, there are maybe problems, such as:
What happens if a T-shelter company with a contract for say 20,000
shelters goes bust in the mean time and parts to convert or move a T-
shelter to a permanent site are no longer available.
Or, if a hurricane strikes and damages many T-shelter company T-
shelters. Parts, in most cases, are not interchangeable from one
company to another. The reconstruction costs could be devastating.
There are many great ideas today for T-shelters, mixed with making
profits for T-shelter companies and add a hurricane or two or three,
along with loss of life, it can become a recipe for another MAN MADE
disaster.
TWO: If only one or two T-shelter companies are selected to provide
all the T-shelters for Haiti...The price per shelter should be the
lowest...which is good.
Damaged parts, for the most part, could be interchangeable...which is
good and cost effective.
For Haiti to deal with only one or two suppliers will cause less
headaches and trauma for its people...which is good.
For one or two T-shelter companies to gear-up production quotas will
help reduce overall costs...That is if these companies are transparent
and can show their costs...it will be good and save money.
BUT, dealing with one or two companies to supply a multi-hundred
million dollar contract can also be devastating if strict observations
are not followed...graft, corruption, payoffs, brides, etc can and
usually do follow....all to the detriment of the people we are trying
to help.
SO, what to do?...Sometimes even I don't have the right answer.
Please post your ideas, suggestions and solutions....maybe one of us
is inspired and can give us the right direction.
Edison
> ...
>
> read more »
It is comforting to hear from people like you that my belief that
transitional shelters need to be designed in such a way as to make
them fast and easy to assemble as transitional shelters which are
strong enough to withstand at least a Cat 2 Hurricane and are then
able to be transformed into permanent housing.
The relocation logistics may require a T-shelter to be moved to a
permanent site and as such it has to be easily transportable, even
after years of use, without falling apart...or having so many pieces
which need to be re-assembled. Relocating one or a hundred such
shelters may be a bit of work, but relocating 20,000 or 100,000 T-
shelters which have pieces missing or damaged in transit or just plain
stolen will be an unsurmountable nightmare.
While I and others truly believe our T-shelters are the best
design...only time and a big hurricane will tell...it would help us
all if you also post on this forum your website showing how your
shelters look and work and cost, and how they can transit from a T-
shelter to a permanent home.
I admit my Tubular Shelter idea is presently a concept, but I am
working to find funding to build several prototypes in Haiti to see
how well my ideas can come together.
And I understand that a T-shelter company will have lots to gain if it
is finally selected as the best solution...which I know many such
shelters are already on the ground being used by people. Possibly,
several shelter companies will be selected to finish off the over
100,000 shelters required. But then we have two interesting problems.
ONE: If several T-shelter companies are selected to finish off the
required 100,000 plus shelters it will create a scenario of giving the
people (NGO's and such) the best possible price...the biggest bang for
the buck. But, over time, there are maybe problems, such as:
What happens if a T-shelter company with a contract for say 20,000
shelters goes bust in the mean time and parts to convert or move a T-
shelter to a permanent site are no longer available.
Or, if a hurricane strikes and damages many T-shelter company T-
shelters. Parts, in most cases, are not interchangeable from one
company to another. The reconstruction costs could be devastating.
There are many great ideas today for T-shelters, mixed with making
profits for T-shelter companies and add a hurricane or two or three,
along with loss of life, it can become a recipe for another MAN MADE
disaster.
TWO: If only one or two T-shelter companies are selected to provide
all the T-shelters for Haiti...The price per shelter should be the
lowest...which is good.
Damaged parts, for the most part, could be interchangeable...which is
good and cost effective.
For Haiti to deal with only one or two suppliers will cause less
headaches and trauma for its people...which is good.
For one or two T-shelter companies to gear-up production quotas will
help reduce overall costs...That is if these companies are transparent
and can show their costs...it will be good and save money.
BUT, dealing with one or two companies to supply a multi-hundred
million dollar contract can also be devastating if strict observations
are not followed...graft, corruption, payoffs, brides, etc can and
usually do follow....all to the detriment of the people we are trying
to help.
SO, what to do?...Sometimes even I don't have the right answer.
Please post your ideas, suggestions and solutions....maybe one of us
is inspired and can give us the right direction.
Edison
>
> read more »
Salvatore A. Moschelli | S2H smoschelli@shelter2home.com
Aug 11, 2010, 7:52:05 PM8/11/10
to haitishelt...@googlegroups.com
Edison-
Your white paper above is what our company was founded on. You're not falling on deaf ears. We are digging in and setting up shop; manufacturing in Haiti, training, and giving jobs to Haitians. We in turn are following a triple bottom line philosophy. Not only are we looking to be profitable as a company, but we are doing it in a sustainable and socially responsible fashion with the long term success of Haiti in mind.
Best Regards,
Sam
Salvatore A. Moschelli
Your white paper above is what our company was founded on. You're not falling on deaf ears. We are digging in and setting up shop; manufacturing in Haiti, training, and giving jobs to Haitians. We in turn are following a triple bottom line philosophy. Not only are we looking to be profitable as a company, but we are doing it in a sustainable and socially responsible fashion with the long term success of Haiti in mind.
Best Regards,
Sam
Salvatore A. Moschelli
ASSOCIATE AIA, LEED AP
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN & SUSTAINABILITY
US MOBILE 248.677.1726
smosc...@shelter2home.com
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN & SUSTAINABILITY
US MOBILE 248.677.1726
smosc...@shelter2home.com
mm...@comcast.net
Aug 18, 2010, 9:49:10 AM8/18/10
to haitishelt...@googlegroups.com
Agreed. All products should play into Haiti's economic development but also follow existing strict construction compliance codes. Why reinvent the wheel. We have been building and designing our systems around US construction compliance to support disaster response for FEMA.
Our strategy much like yours is to build a housing system one time without any transitional costs. The largest obstacle and expense in any post disaster is long term recovery. Post Katrina, our Gulf Coast was covered with hundreds of thousands of travel trailers none of which met local building codes nor were suitable for long term. Five years later there are still residents living in temporary shelters because there was no transitional plan or products that met cosntruction compliance.
Our design philosophy was to bring a rapid response product that would support long term use for commercial and residential and meet existing building code. Our approach drives agricultural incentives to local farmers for the use of their straw by-products, the raw material we use in our panels, while increasing grain production once again. Back in the 80's the Haiti rice crop was plentiful. Today the competitive import market has put the farmers out of business. The agriculture will support this growth if there are incentives.
The use of compressed agricultural fiber has been used successfully internationally for over 20 years. We have taken this technology Post Katrina and designed it around a Gulf Coast storm market for FEMA. We have also been build these as permanent structures.
This technology and expertise is readily available for Haiti. Whatever products are introduced should bring long term economic benefits to the country.
I think you are dead on Sam.
Michael Morgan
President
Critical Response Networks
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Phone 443-632-5110
Our strategy much like yours is to build a housing system one time without any transitional costs. The largest obstacle and expense in any post disaster is long term recovery. Post Katrina, our Gulf Coast was covered with hundreds of thousands of travel trailers none of which met local building codes nor were suitable for long term. Five years later there are still residents living in temporary shelters because there was no transitional plan or products that met cosntruction compliance.
Our design philosophy was to bring a rapid response product that would support long term use for commercial and residential and meet existing building code. Our approach drives agricultural incentives to local farmers for the use of their straw by-products, the raw material we use in our panels, while increasing grain production once again. Back in the 80's the Haiti rice crop was plentiful. Today the competitive import market has put the farmers out of business. The agriculture will support this growth if there are incentives.
The use of compressed agricultural fiber has been used successfully internationally for over 20 years. We have taken this technology Post Katrina and designed it around a Gulf Coast storm market for FEMA. We have also been build these as permanent structures.
This technology and expertise is readily available for Haiti. Whatever products are introduced should bring long term economic benefits to the country.
I think you are dead on Sam.
Michael Morgan
President
Critical Response Networks
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Phone 443-632-5110
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
From: "Salvatore A. Moschelli | S2H smosc...@shelter2home.com" <smosc...@shelter2home.com>
Sender: haitishelt...@googlegroups.com
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:52:05 -0400
ReplyTo: haitishelt...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Is the concept of TRANSITIONAL to PERMANENT shelters correct for
Haiti?
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