Richmond nonprofit seeks $5.9M to build Eden Village tiny‑home community for people who are chronically unhoused

Kathy Ritter, founder of Eden Village Richmond, told the Virginia Housing Commission her nonprofit has identified property in Richmond and is raising funds to build a gated tiny‑home community intended to house people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Ritter said the city approved sale of a parcel for $100 and that the project budgeted total development costs of about $5.9 million. "Our mission statement is to build relationships and life changing affordable individual housing communities for the homeless in partnership with other organizations, donors, volunteers in the Richmond area," she said.

Ritter described the Eden Village model as a small community of modular, furnished one‑bedroom units (about 405 square feet), a community center with office space for social services, shared dining and laundry, a garden and other shared amenities. The model includes a home‑team concept: each resident is assigned a small support team for assistance with services and emergencies. Rents in the examples Ritter cited are modest; she said residents in other Eden Villages pay roughly $350 per month in rent that includes utilities.

Ritter said the design emphasizes safety and dignity: the Richmond site would be gated with fingerprint access, limit overnight visitors, and use on‑site security measures such as a drug‑sniffing dog. She said the project will not use HUD rental vouchers because of program restrictions that she believes do not fit the Eden Village operating model.

The founder said the project expects modular homes to cost about $66,000 each, and that Eden Village solicits home sponsorships at a reduced rate of about $45,000; community centers are typically sponsored by banks or large donors. She said Wilmington, North Carolina, and other cities have successful existing Eden Village communities and that Richmond's parcel sits beside a closed landfill and will require site work.

Ritter reported $118,000 raised to date and said a pro bono architect has begun site planning; she said two house sponsorships have been committed, representing roughly $90,000 in near‑term funding. She said the group will pursue federal home loan and state affordable housing grants next year once predevelopment milestones are achieved.

Commissioners asked what happened to a tent encampment that had been cleared from the Richmond parcel; Ritter said residents who had camped there were "devastated" when tents were removed and described her motivation as seeking a permanent alternative to episodic outreach and emergency services.

Ritter asked for follow‑up engagement and said the group will return to the commission with updates on fundraising and permitting.