For almost a decade, Linda Brown, a realtor for Amax Real Estate, and her husband David organized a nightly drop-in shelter in Springfield, Missouri, where homeless people could eat, shower, do laundry, use a computer, and socialize during karaoke and bingo games.
However, they wanted to do something more permanent. So, they turned an abandoned mobile home property into a community of tiny homes that offer permanent housing to the chronically disabled homeless.
The couple raised $4.75 million and opened Eden Village in 2018, including 31 tiny homes, which cost about $42,000 each. These homes are now occupied by people like Jonathan Fisher, who fought substance abuse and called the streets his home for two years when he met Brown. She turned his life around.
According to Fisher, Brown took the time to learn about how he became homeless in the first place and then encouraged him as he rebuilt his life. She even gave him a job. “In the worst moments of my life, Linda gave me guidance, care, and made me feel like I was still worth something,” Fisher recalled.
Now healthy, happy, and sober, Fisher works full-time for Brown, doing maintenance on the 31 homes, construction, and helping others experiencing similar struggles as to what he went through.
Brown is determined to make her hometown (Springfield) “a city where no one sleeps outside.” She believes that the root causes of a person’s homelessness cannot be adequately addressed until their housing needs are met. “I watched as my homeless friends walked off into the darkness to a hidden, wet, cold camp while we went home to a warm bed. I had to do something,” Brown told the National Association of Realtors, who honored her with their Good Neighbor Award last year.
That was when she got inspired to make the tiny home village where the chronically disabled homeless “can live with dignity and self-worth.” Finally, after raising sponsorship funds from the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors, Coldwell Banker, local banks, churches, and residents, by February 2019, all 31 tiny homes were occupied.
Nate Schleuter, the chief visionary officer for Eden Village, said:
It takes someone who wants to do something and then believes they can. I’ve watched Linda Brown live that out. It’s exciting to watch the homeless who thought they’d live the rest of their life on the street now have a home.
Brown’s thirteen years of real estate expertise was crucial to the development of the tiny home village. She discovered a listing for an abandoned 4.2-acre mobile park on the east side of Springfield. On the plus side, the property wouldn’t need to be rezoned for tiny-home trailers, and the infrastructure and utilities were already on-site.
The 400-sq-ft tiny homes are rolled in on wheels and attached to steel frames. The interiors are fully furnished, including bedding and even dishes. The residents can remain in their homes as long as they desire, given that they remain good neighbors in the community.
The Eden Village features a 4,000-sq-ft community center where residents can hold barbeques, do laundry, and access a medical office staffed with mental health professionals and student nurse volunteers. And it’s a place to get married too! Previously, two residents had their marriage ceremony in the village.
The Realtor is already working on making an Eden Village 2 on donated land. This village will house 24 residents and is close to opening. After that, work will begin on Eden Village 3, which could accommodate 80 residents in duplexes. Brown’s ultimate plan is to have five villages across Springfield, housing up to 200 homeless people over the next six years.
Brown’s compassion and devotion helped Fisher emerge from the firm grasp of homelessness. “She helped me to build a better life. Even when I was struggling with homelessness and sobriety, she showed me I was valuable and that my potential shouldn’t be wasted. She made me feel like I belonged somewhere,” he explained.
Should you be interested, you can visit the Eden Village website for more information, donate, or volunteer with them.
Earlier this year, a German collective installed solar-powered sleeping pods that the homeless could freely access – to shelter them during harsh winters. The windproof and waterproof cozy sleeping pods, called Ulmer Nest, can protect them against the cold, wind, and humidity while also promising fresh air circulation and hopefully reducing the number of cold-related deaths.
