Syracuse Man Builds Tiny Homes to Help the Homeless

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Since 2014, Andrew Lunetta has been working to change what permanent housing looks like for people experiencing homelessness in Syracuse, New York. Through his nonprofit, A Tiny Home for Good, he has helped build 23 tiny homes with private kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry facilities. This organization provides residents with a place they can call their own, rather than another temporary shelter bed.

Before founding A Tiny Home for Good, Lunetta worked for nearly a decade at a men’s shelter in Syracuse. He saw that the most affordable permanent housing available to many residents often meant shared facilities or poorly maintained properties. Many eventually returned to the shelter. He began asking residents what they wanted from a home. The answer was simple: privacy, stability, and continued support.

A Tiny Home for Good was established in 2014, with a mission to provide safe and affordable houses for people coming out of the shelter system. The organization opened its first two homes in 2016 and it has since expanded its work to include both new tiny homes and renovated properties.

More than a decade later, that idea has grown into a permanent supportive housing program serving people throughout Syracuse. In July 2026, CNN named Lunetta its first CNN Hero of the year, bringing national attention to his work and the people who have found housing through A Tiny Home for Good.

The tiny homes are designed as independent residences. Residents have private kitchens and bathrooms as well as laundry facilities, and the homes provide the privacy that communal shelters cannot.

A Tiny Home for Good also manages the properties and maintains relationships with its tenants. Case managers continue working with residents after they move in, helping them navigate the practical challenges that can affect long-term housing stability.

The organization has now built 23 tiny homes and refurbished almost two dozen other properties for people experiencing homelessness. In 2026, it is marking the 10th anniversary of its first two homes with a year-long initiative called A Decade of Dignity.

Lunetta’s work has grown considerably since he founded A Tiny Home for Good. The nonprofit now houses 47 people and plans to continue expanding its permanent supportive housing efforts in Syracuse.