Eden Village of Wilmington: A Tiny Home Approach to Permanent Supportive Housing for Individuals Experiencing Chronic Homelessness

##BACKGROUND Chronic homelessness disproportionately affects marginalized populations and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In 2023, Eden Village of Wilmington (EV) launched a 31-unit tiny home community as a permanent supportive housing (PSH) initiative integrating housing, primary care, and trauma-informed case management. This study examines whether this model improves participants’ self-reported quality of life, daily functioning, and mental health. ##METHODS Validated surveys were administered to 26 participants before or shortly after move-in, and 25 completed follow-up assessments 4 to 6 months later. Instruments included the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire for Adults, modified Colorado Symptom Index, Brief Instrumental Functioning Scale, and RAND SF-36 Health Survey. Outcomes measured changes in psychological symptoms, functional impairment, and quality of life. ##RESULTS Compared to baseline, participant scores on assessment trended positively. Mean Colorado Symptom Index scores improved from 22.7 (standard deviation [SD] = 17.9) to 13.4 (SD = 11.6), indicating reduced emotional distress (P < .001). Further, 3 of 8 domains on the SF-36 Health Survey significantly improved: role limitations due to emotional problems, emotional well-being, and energy/fatigue. Improvements in Brief Instrumental Functioning scores were not found to be statistically significant. ##LIMITATIONS Study limitations include a small sample size given the preliminary pilot nature of the study and potential response bias from self-reported survey instruments. Additionally, sample bias may have been introduced by excluding residents who did not provide informed consent, those who had not lived in the community long enough for follow-up, and those who left the community before their next assessment. ##CONCLUSIONS Eden Village’s trauma-informed PSH model shows early promise in improving mental health and functioning among chronically homeless individuals. Further research is warranted to assess long-term outcomes and scalability.