Two college grads hope to spread awareness about affordable housing in an unusual journey across the United States
The affordable housing problem in America is a primary reason people are plagued by homelessness. This is why Charlotte Robin and Jack Pasi are challenging the status quo by driving around the country, 11,000 miles in total; in a 48-square-foot tiny home towed by a 2005 Honda Pilot showing people there are creative solutions for housing.
This tiny home, called MOBii, has all the functions of a regular home, but it only cost about $3,000 to build and can be towed by practically any car with a hitch. MOBii came to fruition in the Spring of 2015 when a class of environmental students at Elon University created an experimental design to see how small of a space two people could live in. Professor Robert Charest of Elon University wanted to challenge the standard home size in America of 2,500 square feet, to a much smaller footprint.
From June 19 to Aug. 15, the pair will put this experiment to the final test by living and travelling in MOBii. Starting from Jack’s hometown of Exeter, New Hampshire, the two will travel down the East Coast stopping in New York City, Washington, D.C., the Outer Banks, Charleston, South Carolina en route to Key West in Florida. From there they will drive west to New Orleans, Louisiana, Dallas, Texas, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Los Angeles, California. From Los Angeles the duo will travel northward along the Pacific Coast to San Francisco and then trek to Salt Lake City, Utah up to Mayville, North Dakota before they head back south to St. Louis, Missouri, Nashville, Tennessee until they reach their final destination of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
This trip will manifest the idea that affordable housing can be possible for everyone. It promotes a paradigm shift in the way we view housing as an imperative in addressing homelessness. At each stop along our trip we intend to spread social awareness about this problem in hopes that it will get the conversation started about affordable housing. Showing people across the country that two of people can live in a space smaller than most people’s rooms demonstrates that affordable housing shouldn’t be a factor causing families to fade into homelessness.
Between now and the date of departure, Jack along with the guidance of Professor Robert Charest, will be finishing up the final touches on MOBii to make sure it is travel ready.
As Charlotte and Jack are funding this trip out-of-pocket, donations are greatly appreciated at gofundme.com/CoasttoCoastCoteaCote.
You can view the itinerary and donate to the cause below!
This tiny home, called MOBii, has all the functions of a regular home, but it only cost about $3,000 to build and can be towed by practically any car with a hitch. MOBii came to fruition in the Spring of 2015 when a class of environmental students at Elon University created an experimental design to see how small of a space two people could live in. Professor Robert Charest of Elon University wanted to challenge the standard home size in America of 2,500 square feet, to a much smaller footprint.
From June 19 to Aug. 15, the pair will put this experiment to the final test by living and travelling in MOBii. Starting from Jack’s hometown of Exeter, New Hampshire, the two will travel down the East Coast stopping in New York City, Washington, D.C., the Outer Banks, Charleston, South Carolina en route to Key West in Florida. From there they will drive west to New Orleans, Louisiana, Dallas, Texas, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Los Angeles, California. From Los Angeles the duo will travel northward along the Pacific Coast to San Francisco and then trek to Salt Lake City, Utah up to Mayville, North Dakota before they head back south to St. Louis, Missouri, Nashville, Tennessee until they reach their final destination of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
This trip will manifest the idea that affordable housing can be possible for everyone. It promotes a paradigm shift in the way we view housing as an imperative in addressing homelessness. At each stop along our trip we intend to spread social awareness about this problem in hopes that it will get the conversation started about affordable housing. Showing people across the country that two of people can live in a space smaller than most people’s rooms demonstrates that affordable housing shouldn’t be a factor causing families to fade into homelessness.
Between now and the date of departure, Jack along with the guidance of Professor Robert Charest, will be finishing up the final touches on MOBii to make sure it is travel ready.
As Charlotte and Jack are funding this trip out-of-pocket, donations are greatly appreciated at gofundme.com/CoasttoCoastCoteaCote.
You can view the itinerary and donate to the cause below!