Single mother Lauren De Groot was house-sitting when she stumbled upon a Facebook post that offered homeless or at-risk women $55,000 to help build a tiny house. The catch was that applicants had to be involved in the building process. Despite her initial skepticism, Lauren applied, driven by desperation to reclaim something from what she described as “three years of hell.”
Lauren’s journey to homeownership began after losing everything in a house fire in 2020. Two years later, she and her three-year-old daughter narrowly escaped a flood that inundated their rental in Lismore, New South Wales. The idea of owning her own place seemed unattainable until she encountered the opportunity to build a tiny home next to Wilsons River.
Anna Glanzen, another woman affected by the same floods, was living in a caravan with her eight-year-old son when she saw the post. She submitted what she called “the shittiest application” in the hope of a better future. Meanwhile, Jes Star, an aged care worker approaching retirement, was drawn to the project as she faced the prospect of homelessness due to insufficient superannuation.
The Eden Tiny House Project: A Beacon of Hope
The reason Lauren, Anna, Jes, and 12 other women are now homeowners is due to the vision of two ordinary individuals who decided to tackle the housing crisis. Susan Boden, a mental health liaison at a Canberra medical clinic, co-founded the Eden Tiny House Project with the help of a family inheritance. The project aimed to provide a hand up, not a handout, offering $55,000 to 15 women to help them build a tiny house on wheels.
The initiative required participants to purchase the trailers, contribute up to $38,000 of their own funds, and secure land for their homes. The response to the initial Facebook post was overwhelming, highlighting the hidden housing crisis affecting women in Australia.
“We know there’s a housing crisis in Australia,” says Susan. “But the hidden sector are women. Women with children, women who’ve experienced family violence, women who’ve taken long periods out of the workforce.”
Building New Lives: The Journey Begins
The project kicked off with a “tiny house university” in Canberra in August 2022, led by tiny house expert Fred Shultz. The women were trained in basic building and power tool skills, although the project allowed for flexibility in how the homes were built.
Lauren, with the help of a GoFundMe organized by friends, purchased land outside Lismore. Her father, Peter, a builder, played a crucial role in constructing her tiny home, strengthening their relationship despite past conflicts.
Anna, determined to be hands-on, moved into a tent onsite to oversee her build. With assistance from a local church group and a friend’s father, she gradually gained confidence in her construction skills.
Transformative Impact: A New Lease on Life
For Jes Star, the arrival of her factory-built tiny home in the Blue Mountains marked a new beginning. No longer worried about housing insecurity, she embraced the emotional freedom her tiny home provided.
“Living in the tiny home has freed me up emotionally. I think it’s sped up my psychological work of healing from childhood trauma,” Jes reflects.
Susan Boden acknowledges the challenges faced during the project, from emotional highs and lows to logistical hurdles. Yet, the outcomes have been profoundly rewarding, offering the women a tangible asset and a sense of ownership.
The founders hope the Eden Tiny House Project will inspire others to take similar initiatives, emphasizing the need for community-driven solutions to complement governmental efforts.
“We cannot just anymore leave things to government. We need to get out and do it,” Susan asserts.
As Anna gazes at her completed home, she feels a deep sense of pride and accomplishment. “It’s that thing of seeing your dream coming true. Every time I come back in here, I smile. Because this is ours.”
The Eden Tiny House Project stands as a testament to the power of community action and the resilience of women determined to rebuild their lives, providing a model for addressing housing insecurity through innovative and compassionate approaches.
