Adam Miner of Newfield probably didn’t expect to end up with a new job along with a new house. Adam is a first-time homebuyer who went through Better Housing of Tompkins County’s assistance program for modest-income buyers. He’d found a 1974 ranch house up in the forested hills south of Ithaca, but the folks at Better Housing had him contact Tompkins Community Action for an energy assessment for it. As one might suspect of 1970s era construction, the insulation for the attic and crawlspace was practically absent, and all the appliances old and inefficient. TCA let him know about the Finger Lakes Climate Fund grants so that he would be able to start his journey of home ownership with a much more efficient and affordable structure. Watch Adam Miner talk about his home.

The interesting conclusion to this story is that Adam is now working for TCA in the Energy Services Division. As he got acquainted with the team working on his house, his interest and aptitude won the attention of the crew leader who let Adam know there was an opening in his department. Now this young homeowner spends his spare time with DIY projects around his own place while his workdays are spent reducing carbon emissions in homes across the county.

With this 17th grant of $1,668 to eliminate 83 tons of CO2, we have offset 1604 tons of greenhouse gas emissions by investing grants worth $30,659.