Join the Adaptive Reuse Initiative | 1,000,000 Homes in 10 Years

Save the Date March 4th - Lobby Advocacy Day Orientation. To prepare for the big day, we will host a virtual orientation via Zoom at 3:00 p.m. EST. Link: https://bit.ly/4r4uz7r March 18th - Join us for Lobby Advocacy Day in support of the State Adaptive Reuse and Sweat Equity Housing Act. Together, we will urge state representatives to recognize adaptive reuse as a vital housing solution and a critical step toward our shared mission of ending homelessness. Endorse the Adaptive Reuse Initiative Across the country, buildings sit empty while people sleep without a safe place to call home. This disconnect is not a failure of resources, but of priorities. The Bring America Home NOW campaign is activating a national Adaptive Reuse Initiative to turn what already exists into what is urgently needed: safe, dignified housing with supportive services. We are calling for the creation of 1,000,000 units of adaptive reuse housing over the next 10 years. By transforming vacant and underused buildings, we can move faster, lower costs, and deliver real housing solutions to people who cannot afford to wait. We invite communities across the country to stand with us and sign on in support of this initiative, advancing adaptive reuse as a housing-first solution rooted in dignity, efficiency, and care. What is Adaptive Reuse? Adaptive reuse reimagines existing buildings for new purposes while preserving their structure and character. It is about possibility, not demolition. A vacant hotel becomes permanent supportive housing. An old warehouse becomes apartments. A former school or office building becomes a community space. In the fight to end homelessness, adaptive reuse is powerful because it creates housing faster and at lower cost than new construction, while strengthening communities rather than displacing them. Our Core Demand: States must invest in and remove barriers to converting vacant and underused buildings into housing at scale. We call for the creation of 1,000,000 units of adaptive reuse housing by 2032, with leadership from people who have lived experience of homelessness guiding every step of this work.  Endorse the Campaign By signing on, your organization takes a stand for what is possible. You commit to helping create 1,000,000 units of adaptive reuse housing by 2032 and to advancing solutions that meet people where they are, with dignity and urgency. Now is the time to act. Whether you are a housing provider, advocate, architect, community leader, or concerned organization, your voice and leadership matter. There is a role for you in this movement. Join us in advancing real solutions, honoring lived experience, and meeting this crisis with the urgency it deserves. Together, we can secure Housing NOW.

Adaptive Reuse Initiatives. A Global Perspective. Even more innovative usages, Food Security. February 2026

Additional Options in your local commuity

Repurposed structures combined with

·       Housing,

·       Business opportunities

• Participants to learn CYCLE from *Seed to * Preparation, *to Table, to *Waste Management

•   Job Opportunities 

o   Vertical farming in Rural and Urban areas

• Food security
• Hydroponic farming.   hydroponic crops are fast-growing, high-demand, and space-efficient, with top performers including lettuce, basil, strawberries, microgreens, and leafy herbs like cilantro.

• Aquaponic farming.  aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics, often focusing on high-value, fast-growing crops like basil, arugula, and leafy greens to generate income. While fish, particularly Tilapia, provide essential nutrients, the plant portion is generally the primary profit driver.  Success requires targeting premium,

• Water Security

 

Adaptive Reuse Initiatives

Adaptive reuse initiatives involve repurposing existing, often obsolete or historic, buildings for new, functional uses—such as converting commercial properties into residential, office, or mixed-use spaces—to reduce carbon emissions, lower construction costs, and revitalize communities. These projects offer sustainability benefits, including reduced demolition waste and lower embodied carbon, while preserving local heritage.  Key Aspects of Adaptive Reuse Initiatives Environmental Impact: Adaptive reuse projects can cost 16% less and take 18% less time than new construction, while significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with demolition and new building materials. Key Drivers: Initiatives are often driven by the need for affordable housing, declining demand for traditional office space, and the desire to redevelop abandoned or underutilized structures. Federal/Local Incentives: In 2023, the U.S. federal government announced initiatives, including HUD and DOT funding, to facilitate converting commercial buildings into residential units. Local governments may offer tax incentives and streamlined permitting for such projects. Common Conversions: Examples include transforming old warehouses into loft apartments, schools into community centers, or religious buildings into office spaces.  Benefits to Communities Sustainability: Promotes a circular economy by reusing existing, energy-intensive materials. Economic Growth: Increases local tax revenue and creates jobs by bringing new life to abandoned areas. Cultural Preservation: Maintains the character and historical narrative of a neighborhood.

 

History cannot be erased. Thinnest Blue Line. Justice February 2026

History. 

One crisis event, one event for civil rights.

Historical then and now.

                             NOTE:  Video violence.  If unable to view LISTEN to the video carefully. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/893820063626062

 

 

https://newseumed.org/tools/artifact/ala-police-use-hoses-dogs-civil-rights-activists

https://theclio.com/entry/66558

 

Trauma: Self-Therapy. Troubling time for all, globally. February 2026

 

Self-Therapy

Note:

• If you feel you are in a crisis or at risk of self-harm or HURTING OTHERS, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. 
• Youths.  VIBE CHECKUP app for our youths.  https://vibecheckup.org/
• Would you like more specific instructions on Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) or a template for trauma-informed journaling?
• This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more

 

Self-therapy for trauma focuses on regulating your nervous system, processing difficult emotions, and regaining a sense of safety. While these techniques can be powerful, they are often most effective as a supplement to professional support, especially for severe or complex trauma.    1. Immediate Grounding & Regulation When you feel overwhelmed, "flashbacks," or intense anxiety, use these tools to return to the present:  5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold for 4 to signal "safety" to your brain. Self-Soothing Touch: Placing a hand over your heart or wrapping your arms around yourself can lower cortisol levels. Temperature Shift: Splash cold water on your face or hold an ice cube to "reset" your nervous system.  2. Somatic (Body-Based) Practices Trauma is often "stored" in the body as physical tension. These methods focus on releasing that energy:  Trauma Release Exercises (TRE): A series of gentle stretches (like ankle and wall sits) designed to induce natural muscle tremors that discharge pent-up stress. Vocal Toning: Making low "mmmm" sounds can create vibrations that soothe the vagus nerve and open you up to social connection. Bilateral Stimulation: Techniques like alternatingly tapping your knees (used in self-administered EMDR) can help reprocess traumatic memories.    Listen to Soothing Music “Why should we write? We write because it is human nature to write. Writing claims our world It makes it directly and specifically our own. We should write because human are spiritual beings and writing is a powerful form of prayer and meditation, connecting us to our own insights and to a higher and deeper level of inner guidance as well.” – Julia Cameron, The Artists Way Expressive Arts: Use drawing, music, or dance to release emotions that are difficult to put into words.     Hand Dancing, Stepping, enjoy.         3. Reflective & Creative Processing Trauma-Informed Journaling: Write about your experience to create a coherent narrative, which helps your brain "file" the memory as a past event rather than a present threat. The RAIN Approach: Recognize the feeling, Allow it to be there, Investigate where it comes from, and practice Non-identification (remembering the memory isn't who you are). Expressive Arts: Use drawing, music, or dance to release emotions that are difficult to put into words.    4. "Boring" Self-Care & Boundaries Consistency builds a foundation of safety that makes deep healing possible:  Predictable Routines: Re-establish simple daily habits to reduce the sense of chaos. Sleep Hygiene: Maintain a consistent sleep schedule to help your brain process emotional distress. Setting Boundaries: Learn to say "no" to requests that drain you or people who trigger you. This restores your sense of agency and control.  Digital Resources PTSD Coach Mobile App: A free app from the VA that offers symptom tracking and 17 different coping tools. Mindfulness Coach: Guidance for beginners to build a daily practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extortion Tactics of Current U.S. Executive Administration against........ CUBA February 2026

                   WE ARE ONE

CARICOM other Global nations Cuba’s greatest export, medical assistance is a constant reminder to come to Cuban assistance in times of need. 

February 2026 to the length of the current U.S. Executive Administration fulfill the Cuban humanitarian assistance and attacks of its’ critical infrastructure.

All it takes is ONE to stand up against a bully.

But, no buts “We are One” and find a way.

• CARICOM has spoken up. 

 

• https://www.codepink.org/flotilla2cuba    A growing coalition of international organizations, including Progressive International, The People's Forum, CODEPINK, and allied movements across the Americas and beyond is coming together to launch the Nuestra Am?rica Flotilla to Cuba in March, 2026, a humanitarian and solidarity mission to the island at a moment of deep crisis.
• As U.S. policies continue to suffocate the island’s access to fuel, medicine, and essential goods, we believe this is the moment to act. We are organizing a people-powered mission to break the blockade and deliver aid as well as a powerful message: the people of Cuba are not alone.
• The Nuestra Am?rica Flotilla will sail toward Cuba, carrying humanitarian aid and representing a united front of organizations committed to peace, sovereignty, and cooperation across borders.
• We invite organizations, networks, and individuals committed to international solidarity and humanitarian action to join this historic initiative. Fill out this interest form to join the flotilla effort.

• Alkebulan (Africa)  ?  

• Other World Nations?

• IFRC?

To the communities of CUBA, “Hold On!”

CDS.  BEMA International

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyvvhHT2XOY

Who supports Cuba financially? The Cuban economy rebounded in 2003 with marginal liberalization and foreign support from Venezuela, China, and Russia. The United States has maintained an economic embargo against Cuba since 1960 due to geopolitical tensions. Cuba has free-trade agreements with many world nations

 

Charles D. Sharp       Cornell University Climate Fellow Chair\CEO bEMA International Black Emergency Managers Association International
Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)
A 501 (c) 3 organization   “Sometimes you have to be a lion to be the lamb you really are.”