Jacob’s Ladder Road Block Fundraiser Advances Tiny-Home Village for Homeless

Jacob’s Ladder Outreach is hosting a Road Block fundraising event at the intersection of Brownsboro Road and Chamberlain to raise money for Eden Village of Louisville, a planned permanent tiny-home community of 35 houses for people experiencing chronic homelessness. Volunteers, donors and community members are collecting contributions on site "on Saturday" while organizers press a privately funded campaign of donations and grant writing to advance the project.

The Eden Village plan calls for 35 homes, each 400 square feet and fitted with a living area, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and a front porch. Organizers say the village will include a communal space intended to encourage community and combat loneliness and that residents will have access to physical and mental health case management and other community resources. Eden Village materials state, "Eden Village of Louisville will build a safe community for chronically houseless and disabled individuals."

Jacob’s Ladder Outreach is partnering with Eden Village of Springfield, Missouri, to develop the Louisville village. Eden Village of Louisville is an entity of Jacob’s Ladder Outreach, which the organization lists as a 501(c)(3) with tax ID 85-1472400. The nonprofit describes itself as founded by volunteers with years of "boots on the ground" experience, honoring Pastor Jacob Boger and aiming to create safe, supportive environments for Louisville’s unhoused neighbors.

Organizers say they are in contract to buy a parcel at the edge of Louisville’s Portland neighborhood for the site. Project organizers estimate that building the physical structures "could begin in less than a year." At the Portland-edge location, Meg Stone said, "When we get to break ground or even when we start on the infrastructure, it’s just a giant step."

Funding for construction and operations is planned through private donations and grant-writing; event volunteers told attendees that people can donate through Jacob’s Ladder Louisville’s website. The Eden Village model has precedents in other cities, with similar villages in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Tulsa, Oklahoma cited as proof of concept.

Local leaders have offered endorsements as the group pursues land purchase and fundraising: former Deputy Mayor Barbara Sexton Smith, District 5 Metro councilwoman Donna Purvis, and community developer Gill Holland are among named supporters. Angela Tamura emphasized program structure as part of the model, saying, "We’re trying to help with these barriers and that’s why there is structure within the Eden Village community."

President and Founder Mylantha Williams framed the project as foundational: "We can’t do a whole lot when folks are on the street. We can provide all kinds of resources, talk to them about therapy. But when you don’t feel safe, you don’t have a place to lock yourself in, and start working on that stuff, it means nothing." Organizers now aim to close on the land, secure grants and push infrastructure work forward so construction can move from plan to build within the coming year.