WILMINGTON — After a setback on one of its projects last year, Eden Village is planning major expansions this summer.
READ MORE: Eden Village’s second community in the works after ‘God pods’ stall
The nonprofit announced it was looking for a second site to expand its tiny home offerings for chronically homeless people last year and has land under contract now. Eden Village Founder Dr. Tom Dalton said the site is near the existing 31-home development on McClammy Street and would add 14 units. He expects to share more specifics in the next two months after the organization finishes due diligence on the property.
The new site comes on the heels of a setback for Eden Village in 2024. The nonprofit put a plan to place 28 overnight shelter pods on hold after it ran afoul of a state building code regulating how long temporary dwellings can remain on a property. The organization pivoted to building more long-term housing instead
The fourteen homes “forever homes” planned for the new site is down from about 24 Dalton was hopeful for while the search for land was on last year. The lower unit count has also slashed the price estimate from $4 to $2 million for the full buildout, and a construction cost of $80,000 per home if Eden Village sticks with its current modular design. The nonprofit has raised $8.1 million to date through a mix of private and grant funding.
The organization is still evaluating 3D-printed concrete homes as an alternative construction method.
The Eden Village of Springfield, Missouri, sued concrete printing company MudBots last year alleging the two industrial printers it purchased from the company for $1.6 million did not work as advertised and that the company failed to provide technical support. The company, in turn, alleged the issues were operator error and the organization violated its contract.
Dalton said his organization will consider bringing the technology to Wilmington if it is ready by the time they plan to break ground this summer. Dalton said printing the homes would save about $280,000, build faster than the three weeks for modular homes, insulate well and withstand extreme weather.
The village takes applications from disabled and chronically homeless people and asks three things of residents: That they cover $300 a month in rent — typically through disability income — obey the law and be a good neighbor. Since the first site opened in 2023, nine people have left, and when a resident can’t make it in the village the organization finds them other housing.
Another new program is launching from the nonprofit as well. It has purchased a home that will provide respite stays for up to six people at a time released from New Hanover Regional Medical Center with nowhere to go while they finish their recovery. Novant paramedics will offer at-home care services like administering medicine at the respite house through the “Hospital at Home” program it launched in New Hanover County last year.
“We just want to offer a clean place to stay while they recover,” Dalton said.
The home’s purchase, setup and operation expenses will total about $500,000, paid for entirely via a state grant for transitional housing Dalton credited to State Sen. Michael Lee’s office.
The grant was restricted to transitional housing, so it could not be used to fund construction on Eden Village’s regular homes for permanent residences. Stays will range from two weeks to a month and the nonprofit will attempt to find long-term housing for guests after their stay.
Dalton, an anesthesiologist at the medical center, said it can be difficult to get a bed because some patients need a step-down setting but have nowhere to go. The respite house is a pilot program that could be expanded to a larger facility if it is successful. It will open this summer.
“It saves money, it’s good for the hospital and better for patients,” Dalton said.
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