Help us hire
the homeless.
The Albizia Initiative
A hand up, not a handout.
We plan to pay houseless people who want to work a living wage to clear invasive albizia, mill the wood, and build shelters, paid for by local business advertising.
See how it works →Advertise on a shelterWhy this, why now
11,637 people
were experiencing homelessness in Hawaiʻi on one night in January 2024. That's 81 of every 10,000 residents, tied for the second-highest rate in the country.
Source: HUD 2024 AHAR, Part 1
Albizia is a hazard
This fast-growing invasive tree drops onto roads, homes and power lines across Hawaiʻi Island. Owners pay a lot to remove a single hazard tree.
Work, wood, homes
Clear the trees. Mill the lumber. Build 16×16 ft shelters. Each home carries one local business's advertisement above the door.
The plan in four steps
Full-time W-2 jobs at a living wage with full benefits for houseless people who want to work.
Paid, safety-trained crews remove invasive albizia for landowners and along power lines.
The crew mills the wood and builds shelters (hale) for a TAI community on leased land out of town.
Workers live in the homes they build, learn a trade, and can go out on their own.
Shop & support
100% of sales support TAI.
Advertise on a Shelter
Put your business name above the door of a TAI home. $15,000 per home.
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