The J.O.S.H. Initiative
Justice On Someone’s Home
“I want to ensure EVERYONE has access to an architect, so we can all live inspired lives in our own homes. I want people to know that I want to help them with that.”
What is the Josh Initiative?
By working with Josh Architects, you may become a collaborator with The JOSH Initiative. This means you may help seek justice on someone’s home by simply working with Josh Architects. Justice on a home? How? Josh has two types of clients: those who want to improve their life with a nicer home, and those who need to improve their life with a nicer home.
What is the problem?
It is commonplace that both types of clients have a challenge with the permitting of their home projects due to the restrictions in the land use and building codes that limit how we are allowed to live - in our own homes, on our own properties. The codes are intended to protect our safety, our environment, and to reasonably allow us to use our property without adversely affecting others. Although this is the intent, it is not always the outcome. With several layers of bureaucracy and undue scrutiny from inefficient and unmotivated municipalities, many projects cannot be built as planned, or sometimes cannot be built at all. For some people, this might result in not being allowed to build a fancy dock next to their boathouse or an outdoor kitchen for entertaining guests. For others, this could result in not being allowed to repair a home that has been damaged or perhaps not being allowed to build an addition to create enough space for sheltering and caring for an elderly member of the extended family. Sometimes, folks cannot simply afford the service to hire someone to guide them through this seemingly impossible process.
We are here to help
This is where The JOSH Initiative can help (and wants to help). If you are stuck with a code compliance or permitting issue, you do not need to feel helpless, defeated, or intimidated. Overcoming these obstacles is very challenging, and you do not need to go at it alone. We will fight on your behalf to get justice on your home.
Some clients can afford our help, and we charge a fee commensurate with the difficulty of the situation. Some clients cannot afford professional assistance, so The JOSH Initiative offers professional services pro-bono when folks are truly in a place of need. Our clients that can afford professional services may effectively partner with those who cannot by sponsoring them. When a client pledges any dollar amount to our JOSH Initiative fund, we match the pledge by offering our services in-kind. A client with a true hardship can effectively hire us by using money in the fund that was pledged by others, and we double the benefit by equally pledging our time. In other words, if you pledge $100 of architectural services, someone will be able to use that $100 on architectural services, plus we will perform an additional $100 of architectural services pro-bono. Our clients may elect to make a one-time pledge, a recurring pledge on each monthly invoice they receive, or a percentage of each invoice - like a Robinhood tax. We all work together with grit, creative problem solving, and financial means to help each other get the justice deserved, so everyone can have access to an architect.