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400 apply for 63 homes in Tulsa community dedicated to chronically homeless

Eden Village of Tulsa tiny homes are seen on Monday, December 23, 2024
Elizabeth Caldwell
/
KWGS News
Eden Village of Tulsa tiny homes are seen on Monday, December 23, 2024

After two years of development, a gated tiny home community for people who’ve repeatedly struggled with homelessness is welcoming its first residents.

Eden Village of Tulsa sits on 17 acres in west Tulsa, south of Charles Page Boulevard. Nine previously unhoused people can now call it home.

“It was a real push the last month or so to get these folks in by Christmas, ‘cause we really wanted to at least get nine in. And we made it, by the skin of our teeth. So we’re just thankful that they’re able to spend Christmas here in a safe community rather than sleeping in the woods or wherever,” said founder Brad Johnson.

Johnson expects 36 residents by late spring 2025. The current goal is to stand up 63 tiny homes while also providing services like mental health support.

“This is not necessarily a transitional deal, it’s permanent supported housing,” said Johnson.

More people in Tulsa were homeless this year than ever before, according to estimates from Tulsa Day Center. Johnson said Eden Village received more than 400 applications “without even really asking.”

Johnson said the staff at Eden Village are relying on referrals from local service providers when it comes to deciding who to admit. Residents must have lived in Tulsa for a year, be able to pay $350 a month and agree to follow basic rules.

Eden Village of Tulsa is funded by private donations. It’s based on a community in Springfield, Missouri billing itself as the first tiny home community in the country for people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Before joining Public Radio Tulsa, Elizabeth Caldwell was a freelance reporter and a teacher. She holds a master's from Hollins University. Her audio work has appeared at KCRW, CBC's The World This Weekend, and The Missouri Review. She is a south Florida native.