Moversandshakas.org is an online Hawaiian remote worker campaign. The M&S goal is to help build the Hawaii economy by strengthening the workforce with active, foreign employees.

Participants should be employed full-time with a flexible schedule that permits relocation to Hawaii. This is not a job recruitment program, as M&S is only considering full-time workers who can maintain their job positions while residing in Hawaii.

The campaign is currently not accepting in-state residents, only American-based workers 18-year-old or older will be considered. All applicants must be willing to relocate and reside in Hawaii for at least one month.

Participants are responsible for finding suitable housing. M&S does not cover housing expenses but will provide discounts for local hotels.

All applicants must complete the M&S application, which has a series of questions regarding volunteer history, salary, employer, and current location.

Participants must commit time to a local nonprofit during their stay.

Domain Information

The website was established on May 11, 2020, via a proxy server.

Contact Us

The Contact Us does not provide significant information about Movers and Shakas (M&S). There is no way to validate the legitimacy of the website.

Not BBB-Accredited

M&S is not registered with BBB. The website was featured in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. The article claims M&S has already chosen its first participant, Abbey Tizzano who traveled from her home in Austin, Texas to Kahala, Honolulu in September.

Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice policy analyst, Nicole Woo told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald that there were concerns regarding the M&S program. She said a large influx of newcomers could have a negative impact on Hawaii’s real estate market. She said Hawaii was facing an affordable housing “crisis,” which would only escalate if participants prolonged their stay past the M&S requirement.

Who Is Behind The Movers And Shakas Remote Worker Campaign?

The campaign was initiated by FCH Enterprises, a Honolulu-based company that owns Zippy’s restaurants.

The source of funding for the campaign is still unclear. A contributor responded to the Hawaii Tribune Herald article, accusing Higa of being a “sell out.” Sara Steiner-Jackson accused Higa of utilizing Hawaii tourism revenue to fund his M&S campaign.

Some contributors spent more time ridiculing the government officials than focusing on the main topic of the article. Others did not hold back, calling the newcomers “soft pasty wimps.”

The campaign was also featured on CBS News and The Business Journals websites.

Afterword – Movers And Shakas Hawaii Scam

While the Movers and Shakas remote worker campaign is as legit as they come, many of the locals were against the idea. Higa claims the agenda behind his campaign was focused on building a “better Hawai’i.” Whether the campaign will be a success or failure is yet to be seen.

So far, it looks like many of the locals are against the campaign because they believe it will put more strain on Hawaii’s housing crisis. Officials have already introduced two bills – SB3063 and SB2046 – that could possible help the state meet its housing demand. The bills would require the state to meet the housing demand by producing more housing developments.

It is possible, the hidden agenda behind the M&S campaign is associated with Hawaii’s extensive vacant vacation rental properties. Nearly every U.S. state is experiencing a shortage in housing. The U.S. real estate market is experiencing fewer availabilities by the day. Homes are sold the same day they are put on the market in many cases.

Some analysts believe the forecasted high number of evictions and foreclosures may ease the housing strain but not come close to helping the U.S. meet the housing demand. Foreclosures are expected to soar in 2021. It is predicted that between 250,000 and 500,000 property owners will face foreclosure next year.