Jean Madden is the founder of an organisation that has provided more than 50,000 swags to people living rough. Now she has a new idea - low-cost housing. 

Ms Madden hosts retreats in remote regions of Queensland and the Northern Territory, where she helps young people who have left their traditional homelands. One of the biggest problems she sees is homelessness, so she set out to find a solution - and Swags With Walls was born.

The first prototype was built at a retreat by young Kalkadoon people. Now, one, two and three-bedroom hardwood cabins are available, and can be built for less than $10,000.

The cabins are classed as mobile homes as they can be moved on trucks. They plug into the ground in much the same way as caravans do. In many regions, the size of the cabins falls below the square meterage required for council approval.

The aim of the project is to help homeless people, the unemployed, and low-income workers to own their own home. Ms Madden is working on a proposal for people receiving Centrelink payments to rent-to-buy the cabins.

"I'm so sick of hearing about the Housing Affordability Act," Ms Madden told the ABC. "For God's sake, let's just make the houses cheaper."

See also:

Train carriages could be converted to shelter for the homeless

Pop-up homes and communities an answer to affordability crisis