Home HeadQuarters

Bringing Historic Lessons Home

SyracuseCoE and the EFC are applying the lessons learned about sustainable disaster recovery and urban redevelopment to Central Upstate New York:

DECONSTRUCTION— With leadership assistance from Northeast Green Building Consulting and Naef Recycling, SyracuseCoE and Home HeadQuarters are working together on it, he planned deconstruction of a house in Syracuse’s Near West Side Neighborhood, including workforce development, market development, and policy initiatives needed to support the process. The project expects to provide a framework that engages the community in sustainable urban redevelopment.

DISASTER RECOVERY—The EFC is considering creating a framework that can be applied to other communities affected by disasters—in Central Upstate New York, those can include ice storms and floods—that takes the Historic Green recovery as a model of sustainable rebuilding.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT—The Historic Green project is a model of community engagement in planning, development, and even construction. Lessons in how to involve community members are being applied to the Near West Side Initiative.

Improving Energy Efficiency in Near West Side Homes

An integrated project to help homeowners in the Skiddy Park area of Syracuse’s Near West Side neighborhood assess and improve energy use and indoor environmental quality began in January with the first of as many as 50 families receiving free home energy assessments. Home HeadQuarters is leading the project, with assistance from SyracuseCoE.

The Home Performance Study energy assessments will evaluate energy use along with health and safety issues in participating homes and will help identify needed improvements to reduce energy use that may result in lower utility bills.

Home HeadQuarters is providing Energy Upgrade Mini-Grants of up to $2,500 to help with home improvements identified through the home energy assessments. The mini-grants, available at Home HeadQuarters through the city of Syracuse, are made possible with Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative funding secured by Rep. James T. Walsh (R-NY).

SyracuseCoE staff is offering advice and guidance to homeowners on recommended energy improvement options. Together, Home HeadQuarters and SyracuseCoE are helping homeowners research and apply for additional funding opportunities. Homeowners may also be eligible to try new energy-saving appliances and/or equipment in their homes, which would be made possible through SyracuseCoE. At the end of 2007, Syracuse University, at the request of SyracuseCoE, solicited bids for home assessments from local Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified firms. Three Syracuse firms—TAG Mechanical, Zero Draft, and Comfort Home Improvements—were hired to conduct the assessments.