Welcome to Housing to Behold

Who We Are

Behold Charities International is a non-profit 501c3 Arizona corporation whose purpose is to facilitate independence, inclusion and universal design in the provision of housing and communities which is “Housing to Behold”. Behold operates on an advisory model. Our board will be further developed in future phases in accordance with the 10 Generation Plan.

Mission: To facilitate independence, inclusion & universal design in housing and communities.

Purpose: Improve lives and communities with affordable, accessible modular homes with services.

What we do

Build affordable, accessible homes for people with functional needs / disabilities.

How: We use modular, prefabricated, panelized, or sectional building methods which:

• Incorporates Universal Design Principles, Fair Housing and ADA guidelines
• Includes amenities for caregiving, communication, movement, breathing, thinking and seeing
• Reduces cost of affordable accessible housing for rent, lease, rent-to-own and purchase options

PLANNED TIMELINE:
Feb 2017 Identify & obtain funding to develop modular homes
July 2017 Develop Eng. & Arch. plans, contract with modular builder
Nov 2017 Identify properties eligible for funding with acceptable zoning
Feb 2018 Acquire property to build model homes for demonstration
July 2018 Facilitate service contracts for independence & maintenance

Status: Behold is currently in Research, Development and Ideation phase of development. Research is focused on the state of accessible housing and identifying clearly the gaps that exist in Arizona in providing accessibility in affordable housing and independent living for individuals with disabilities. The 501c3 status will facilitate obtaining grants and donations to allow Behold to work with agencies, individuals and housing providers in partnership to facilitate this purpose.

Strategic design and development assists with the creation of our housing. We work with agencies, medical entities, housing funders, independent living centers and other organizations to provide essential services that align with our purpose of helping people live independently in affordable, accessible housing.

Additional activities include applying for grants, requesting donations and in-kind supports to achieve multiple goals that also align with our purpose. These include:

• Facilitate acquisition of properties and contract with modular home builders to build accessible affordable single family homes and multifamily apartments.
• Identify existing accessible multi-family housing units to provide information to agencies working with people with disabilities who require specific amenities due to disabilities or other requirements, i.e. transportation, infrastructure, etc. (TBD)
• Educate people with disabilities about availability of funding; agencies who provide accommodations, services, supports and independent living services (TBD).
• Provide education and information re Fair Housing, Americans with Disabilities and other regulations, zoning and building code information to facilitate additional accessible affordable housing.
• Advocate to various jurisdictions regarding needed legislation and code changes to facilitate accessible affordable housing and supportive infrastructure (TBD).
• Identify and facilitate success with people with disabilities seeking independent living.

Our accessible, affordable single family housing is developed using modular building methods. Modular building methods:

• Reduce the cost of housing construction by reducing the waste and time associated with traditional building methods
• Meet all the same code requirements as traditional housing
• Make it easy to add accessible elements and features required by people with specific disabilities.

Behold's business model is activated through the deployment of advisors during the Research and Development phase.

Current Advisors and Their Expertise as of November 2015

• Ability360 (www.Ability360.org) - Community Involvement and Outreach.
• Antonio J. Martinez - Integrity and Strategic Design.
• Arizona Technology Access Program (http://aztap.org/) - Technology and Assistive Devices.
• Ben Martinez, General Contractor - Building Construction Practices.
• Jason Pender, DirectAZ - Web design (www.DirectAZ.com) - Web Design and Development.
• Joy Oludiji, Teacher - Education and Training Development.
• Judy Kay Frieder, CEAC, CSA, ECHM, CLIPP - Functional Assessments, Research and Development.
• Kristi Avalos, Accessology (http://accessology.com/) - Accessibility Standards, Strategic Management.
• Laura Martinez - Housing Application Processing.
• Michael Moore, Robert Moore, and Scott Moore - Conceptual, Design & Review.
• Robert Brooks, Trendsetters - Integrity and Spiritual Development.
• Sara Mendoza - Floor Plan Design and Artistic Development.
• Sonny Aziz, IGODATA IT (www.IGoData.com) - Information Technology.
• Stu Turgel, Advisory Services to Charitable Organizations - Accounting and Management.
• Virginia Johnson, Business Manager - Design and Business.
• Zan and Cathy Pauly, Business Owners - Integrity and Business Practices.