Tiny Homes, Huge Hearts: The Story Behind Eden Village RVA 

In Richmond, Virginia, nearly 700 individuals live without stable housing. Cathy Ritter is working to change that. With passion, persistence and a little humor, she’s addressing the region’s homelessness problem by creating a community of tiny homes called Eden Village, where people who’ve lived on the margins can finally feel safe and supported.  

While the Richmond location is still in the planning and fundraising stages, the vision is clear: to provide a long-term, secure neighborhood for the chronically homeless. 

How It Started 

Originally from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Ritter built her career and life around service. She moved to Richmond intending to slow down and retire but soon found herself pulled into the city’s housing problem.    

She began volunteering with various local organizations like Blessing Warriors RVA, making sandwiches and assembling tent kits for the unsheltered population. Over time, she realized those efforts weren’t enough. 

“I kept wondering, what are other cities doing?” Ritter said. “There must be a more permanent answer.”   

That curiosity led her to discover Eden Village — a community-based tiny-home model first launched in Springfield, Missouri and a nonprofit dedicated to getting the chronically homeless off the streets and reducing dependency on city resources.   

The homes are fully furnished and about 405 square feet, complete with a front porch, bedroom, bathroom and a kitchen/living space. The homes are built for individuals who have been unhoused for over a year or have cycled in and out of homelessness multiple times. Many also struggle with mental illness, chronic health issues or trauma.  

“Eden Village is meant to be a long-term, forever home,” Ritter said. “A lot of people have lived in poverty, unstable housing and even in their cars. The goal is for it to feel like a real neighborhood.” 

Once residents are housed and have a stable address, they can access healthcare, apply for disability benefits and become part of a caring community. 

Eden Village communities are fenced and gated, with fingerprint entry and include a community center, memory garden and shared amenities like laundry facilities, a communal kitchen and library. For the Richmond Village, rent will be set at $350 per month including utilities, and residents must follow community guidelines. 

Bringing it Home to Richmond

The Eden Village model has a strong reputation nationwide and provided Ritter with plans and a blueprint for the Richmond community center. After exploring potential locations and working with city officials, she identified an unlikely, but promising, site: a heliport next to an old landfill that’s been closed for about 20 years. 

After some creative zoning research, and a bit of faith, the city agreed to sell the land to Eden Village RVA for just $100. The catch? They must raise $360,000 before the title can be transferred. 

That amount will cover utilities, infrastructure and the first fully functional tiny home on the property. Once that milestone is reached, larger grants like those from Bank of America, Fulton Bank and Truist will be within reach. 

The hope is to break ground in late fall. Like other Eden Villages around the country, the Richmond project will take around two years to complete. Once finished, the goal is to be debt-free, sustainable and built for longevity by 2027. 

For now, Ritter is focused on fundraising, engaging local partners and sharing the vision. 

Laying the Foundation 

Local support is already growing. A coalition of churches, including Ritter’s own, has already raised $28,000 so far, with a goal of recruiting 100 churches that each donate $1,000. One local family has committed to sponsoring two homes, and an architect has volunteered to create the site plan pro bono.  

After a recent news feature, the project saw a surge in volunteers — more than 50 people signed up to help in various ways. 

To keep the local community updated, Ritter hosted a public meeting at a neighborhood library and went door-to-door passing out informational flyers about the plans. She also shared how Eden Villages in other cities have actually helped raise nearby property values. 

To inspire deeper community engagement, donors can be honored on a “Tree of Life” installation inside the future community center. Leaf colors reflect giving levels — ranging from $1,000 to $100,000+ — and can be dedicated in honor or memory of someone. 

To help this community, you can donate or sponsor a home, spread the word about its mission or join the coalition of churches.