Eden Tiny House Project

One huge problem, one tiny solution. 

When Susan Boden, a Canberra mental health professional, saw the impact of the housing crisis on her clients, she decided to act. Using an inheritance, Susan and a colleague set up the Eden Tiny House Project, offering 15 homeless or at-risk women the chance to own a tiny home on wheels.  

The project provided $55,000 towards the build while the women had to contribute around $38,000 and provide the land. But there was a catch: the women had to help build the home themselves. 

For those selected, it was both a lifeline and a challenge. 

Single mum Lauren De Groot and her three-year-old daughter lost everything in the 2022 Lismore floods and had to live in caravan parks, friends' houses and emergency accommodation.  

The floods also seriously impacted Anna Glanzen's life. The resulting lack of housing in the area meant Anna and her son had to move 15 times, ending up in a camper trailer.   

Aged care worker Jes Star, also a single mum, was facing retirement without the funds to provide housing for herself and her daughter.  

Filmed over three years, we follow the women's journeys as they dig deep to find the skills and support required to build their tiny homes and transform their lives.  

Coordinator Susan Bowden says the results of the project are far beyond what she ever imagined. "They have something real in the world that they own, that's theirs," she tells Australian Story. "I think there's lots of ways this can become a model." 

"People are getting treated like dirt because they're homeless." Anna says. "They were the first people who said, 'Yes. I believe in you.'" 

"It wasn't a handout, it was a hand up," Jes explains, "and that's incredibly powerful."  

Producers: Vanessa Gorman and Simon Cunich. 

AUSTRALIAN STORY Small Wonders – Eden Tiny House Project, Monday 25 August, 8pm, ABC TV and ABC iview