Respect The Pound
Eliminating The Carbon Footprint One Tiny Home At a Time: Interview With Tom & Emel Saat
2020 has left us with way more than just a sore spot. With thousands of lives lost all around the world, things have been difficult to get through, to say the least. As many people are still left without jobs, housing, etc. I can’t help but imagine the difficulty it must be, going through homelessness at a time like this.
So as we get closer and closer to the date of expiration for The National Eviction Moratorium, many are left fearing the worst.
Living or (for the context in relation to myself) surviving in NYC has in no way been a walk in the park. Especially coming out of homelessness with little to no guidance.
In an article written by SHARIF EL-MEKKI of phillys7thward.org, she reflects on a regrettable point & quote in the autobiography of Malcolm - X that I too think about often.
“What can I do to help?”
El - Mekki writes;
“This woman was so inspired by a speech that Malcolm had given at a college in New England, she took the highly unusual and proactive step to fly to New York and tracked Malcolm down in his beloved Harlem. This “blond co-ed” asked Malcolm what a white person like herself could do to help further the cause? He responded with a cold (and, at that time, heartfelt), “Nothing.”
Having reached 2021, the veil has been lifted for us to see the variations that exist among African America vs White America, and to be completely honest, there seems to be more of them with us than against us.
(Courtesy of New York Magazine)
With this in mind and my own personal sense of desperation for survival, these days I’m seeking solutions as opposed to areas for complaint. It’s time to face our problems head-on. Look at each other in the eye and figure out what there is to learn from one another.
Last month I caught up with an old friend who was once an intern for Respect The Pound. She and her dad just got back from a cross country adventure, scoping land for their latest project Tiny Homes NYC. Having faced difficulties in finding a location in the city of NY, they are now working towards finalizing their purchase and will be building a Tiny Home Community in California.
Now if you’re not familiar with the Tiny Home movement, many people around the world have embraced the idea of becoming a minimalist and diminishing their carbon footprint.
Of all the benefits that came up in our discussion, the idea’s of possibly reaching an end to homelessness and poverty brought tears to my eyes. Tiny Homes have the potential to not only eliminate the theoretical debt you will inevitably face when buying a home but being that the cost to create a tiny home isn't that expensive, the possibilities are endless! Watch our interview to hear more about their plan below:
Be sure to follow them on Instagram @TinyHomesNYC.
I want to take the time to Thank Emel Saat & her Dad Tom Saat for meeting with us and relentlessly continuing their work in the assistance of making this world be a better place. Fist bump to you guys! #Respect
Videographer: Nakulwa Smith
- Lisa Brittany
