From left: Sharon Owens, City of Syracuse Deputy Mayor; Alberto Bianchetti, National Grid; Andrew Lunetta, A Tiny Home for Good; and Ryan McMahon, Onondaga County Executive.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Local dignitaries joined representatives from A Tiny Home for Good and National Grid to open four new tiny homes on Syracuse Southwest side. Built by A Tiny Home for Good and funded by National Grid’s Project C initiative, they will become the residence of four individuals who were facing homelessness.

“This partnership has been so powerful and is real proof of the largely untapped potential of what can be accomplished for the betterment of the community when corporate sponsors align with focused nonprofits,” said Andrew Lunetta, executive director for A Tiny Home for Good. “We are grateful for the opportunity to further our work in the community thanks to National Grid's Project C initiative, and inspired by our shared commitment and vision of building toward a better tomorrow.”

Tuesday’s ribbon cutting, attended by Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, and City of Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, comes 16 months after ground was broken at the vacant lot on Rich Street. A Tiny Home for Good staff, subcontractors and volunteer teams worked on all facets of construction, from clearing debris and overgrowth from the lot, to building the homes and moving furniture into the buildings.

Funding for the homes was made possible through National Grid’s Project C initiative, the company’s commitment to improving the communities it serves. The $250,000 contribution in the homes fulfills multiple Project C pillars: neighborhood development and community investment, environmental justice and social equity, and clean energy and sustainability.

“Four people will move into these houses and be able have something that so many of us take for granted,” said Alberto Bianchetti, National Grid’s regional director of customer and community engagement. “The safety, security and dignity that comes along with having a home of your own. National Grid is proud of this project and our relationship with A Tiny Home for Good.”

The homes were designed by architect Brad Wales’ senior design-build class at the University at Buffalo. The class was tasked with creating new homes that were comfortable for their tenants and highly energy efficient. The finished product includes three buildings, including one duplex.

Each 380-square-foot home is equipped with roof-mounted solar panels as a supplemental source of power for the home’s electric ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and mechanical systems. The units were constructed without thermal bridging, so insulation in the walls and ceiling was not interrupted by studs or other structural material. This creates a tightly wrapped building, minimizing heat loss in the winter while maintaining comfort all year long.

The architectural students also designed each home based on the structure’s position on the lot. Windows, overhangs and porches were deliberately placed to take advantage of the sun’s natural light to add heat to the home during the winter, while the overhangs shade the interior during the summer.

A Tiny Home for Good acquired the properties from the Greater Syracuse Land Bank and the project is considered in-fill housing by using the formerly vacant spaces. The nonprofit will own, rent and maintain the properties for its tenants. Since building its first home in 2016, A Tiny Home for Good has converted vacant lots and renovated derelict homes across the city of Syracuse to provide safe, affordable and dignified housing for people experiencing homelessness. Rent is based on the circumstances of each tenant, who receives ongoing support and assistance from A Tiny Home for Good and other organizations to prevent a return to the streets.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.