Eden Village changes homeless’ lives one village at a time

• Linda Brown and her husband David built Eden Village, a place where chronically disabled homeless people “can live with dignity and self-worth.”
• In 2019, all 31 tiny homes of Eden Village were occupied.
• One beneficiary said that “Linda gave me guidance, care, and made me feel like I was still worth something.”

“A city where no one sleeps outside” is the vision of Linda Brown and her husband David.

For nine years, David and Linda were organizing a drop-in shelter every night, where homeless people in Springfield could eat, shower, wash their clothes, use a computer, and socialize. But knowing that these people still had no place to go home to after the event was heartbreaking for them.

“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,” Linda said. “I had to do something.”

That moment, she envisioned a tiny-home village where the homeless “can live with dignity and self-worth.”

So, in 2018, when the couple was able to raise $4.75 million, they furthered their goodwill and gave a permanent home to chronically disabled homeless people.

David and Linda built Eden Village, housing 31 tiny homes and serving as homes to people like Jonathan Fisher.

When Linda met Jonathan, he was battling drug abuse. He had lived on the streets for two years and thought that he was in a hopeless situation, but Linda changed his life.

“In the worst moments of my life, Linda gave me guidance, care, and made me feel like I was still worth something,” Jonathan said.

He added that Linda took the time to learn about how he ended up homeless, encouraged him that it was not too late to start a new life, and even offered him a job.

Linda’s encouragement had brought Jonathan back to his senses, and now, he’s working full time doing construction and maintenance at the village.

In February 2019 — with the help of sponsorship money Coldwell Banker, the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors, local banks, churches, and area residents — all 31 tiny homes which cost about $42,000 each were occupied.

The village houses a 4,000-square-foot community center where residents can hold cookouts and do the laundry. There’s also a medical office with student nurse volunteers and mental health professionals they can always ask help from.

“It takes someone who wants to do something, and then believes they can. I’ve watched Linda Brown live that out,” said Nate Schleuter, who helped launch a tiny-home village for the homeless in Austin, Texas, but now is the chief visionary officer for Eden Village.

“It’s exciting to watch the homeless who thought they’d live the rest of their life on the street now have a home,” she added.

Linda has 13 years of real estate expertise which significantly helped her in the development of the tiny-home community. In 2020, National Association of Realtors honored her with its Good Neighbor Award, and she indeed deserved that.

Source: Good News Network