In the fall of 2010, ten individuals from a local church formed The Gathering Tree, in an effort to help the city’s homeless population. The group observed that there was a concentration of homeless individuals in the downtown area of Springfield, MO.
After opening their first Eden Village in Springfield, they worked with a Wilmington, NC group to begin a second Eden Village.
This week four small homes made their way from Pennsylvania to join 17 others just like them on a growing community lot in Wilmington, NC. The modular units are the latest addition to Eden Village, a 31-home neighborhood providing residences for chronically homeless individuals.
Ten more are needed to complete phase one, which has been underway since January 2021. With the project slated to wrap next month, the nonprofit, founded in 2020, is already looking at phases two and three as part of its long-term plan.
The residences are open to individuals who have been homeless for more than a year and have a mental or physical disability. Renters are locked in at a $300 per month rate for the entirety of their stay, which has no end date. The cost covers utilities as well.
People who are chronically homeless also have little sense of community, something Dr. Tom Dalton, one of the founders hopes to create in Eden Village.
“They’ve lost contact with their families, their church, their jobs,” Dalton said. “When you get isolated like that, it is a very, very difficult place.”
For that reason, Eden Village will place a heavy focus on support systems. Social work case managers will set up offices on campus, and community coordinators will organize social and personal enrichment activities and skills training. The community space will offer sober living activities, a library and computer lab, a laundry room, and a food bank.
For more information about Eden Village, visit their website.
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and Offsite Builder. Email at [email protected]
Gary Fleisher, Editor in Chief of Offsite Construction Magazine
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