Dale Spicer was living with a friend when he got kicked out. With no time to grab his things, or think, he was left with no living situation. Then he began volunteering at a bike riding program for the homeless, where he met Andrew Lunetta.

 

Every day, Spicer would show up to help, offering his construction skills. He would always come and leave on his bike, according to Lunetta, who didn’t think much of it.

 

Until one day Lunetta offered him a ride and saw that Spicer was living in a tent in the back of an abandoned house.

 

Encouraged by Lunetta, Spicer began living with him until the house that the two were building together was ready for move-in. 

 

“At no point, though, did he ever expect to move in there,” Lunetta said. “He began helping out because he grew up working, and it was just something he wanted to do.”

 

Lunetta, a Le Moyne College graduate and creator of Pedal to Possibilities, founded A Tiny Home for Good in 2014, a nonprofit that builds and rents sustainable homes for people in Syracuse facing homeless situations. Spicer was one of the first tenants. He also became the named groundskeeper of the organization.

 

It’s been a decade, and Spicer continues to work with A Tiny Home for Good to help others in the situation he was once in. He is “Mr. Dependable,” as written on the company’s website, and the “heart and soul of the organization,” according to Lunetta.

 

“I love it,” Spicer said about his job.

 

According to the 2023 Point in Time Count, the homeless rates in Syracuse have increased in recent years. Over 800 people are staying in emergency shelters– a 30% increase since 2022.

 

“It’s hard to do. People don’t understand,” Spicer said when reflecting on his homeless experience. “Someone might have a good place but then can lose that.”

 

Most shelter options in Syracuse are expensive, dangerous and unlivable, according to Lunetta. “No codes, zero supervision and no support afterward,” he said. This is why A Tiny Home for Good began– to provide a permanent solution by renting out the units they build at a fraction of the average Syracuse rent price.

 

With properties all over Syracuse, Lunetta, along with social worker Lori Clapper and the rest of the team, frequently check-in and assist their tenants.

 

“It’s not your typical landlord,” Clapper said. “The other day, a tenant said he wanted Irish food, so we picked him up a corned beef sandwich. Landlords don’t do that.” They will even drive a pet to a vet’s appointment. Or plan a holiday wreath decorating event.

 

Success and support are long processes. Getting someone off the streets is not always enough– many will continue to face mental health issues and addiction struggles. A real step to ending homelessness, said Lunetta, is giving ongoing care.

 

“The win is not giving someone the key to their house,” Lunetta said. “The win is the resigning of the lease and the years of tenancy.”

 

These emphases on tenant/landlord relationships and fostering a sense of community have created dignified living experiences that encourage tenants to stay. Among them is Mr. Dependable himself– a man who does not cut shy from hard work and a friend whom Lunetta proudly described as “loyal and the person who stays on your team.”

 

It was Dec. 2 and the first snow day of the season, which meant Spicer had already shoveled seven properties before noon. After that was a quick break inside to catch some warmth and conversations with coworkers. Next, and after only a brief thirty-minute break, back to work, until whatever time was necessary.

 

“Three more properties to shovel. One has three driveways, the other has one, but lots of sidewalks,” Spicer said, quickly, with a bit of a grin on his face. “And who knows after that.”

 

To Spicer, a typical workday is “whatever’s got to be done.” If someone says they need something done, he’ll do it. When asked about the struggles of his job, there was a long pause. “Can’t think of anything,” Spicer said. “I just go back and do it myself. If not, I’ll get help.”

 

Spicer’s been this dedicated his whole life, as he used to work 16 hours a day on a farm in Marcellus. His construction skills are self-taught– he even taught a lot of what Andrew now knows about construction.

 

Spicer now lives in his third home with A Tiny Home for Good, to which he jokes “I’m not moving!” every time it’s brought up. Along with his cats Ellie and Eli who wake him up every morning, and his neighbors who are “pretty good,” Spicer plans to stay with A Tiny Home for Good for a long time.

 

And, as the winter approaches, spend many of his upcoming days shoveling snow.