A new kind of affordable housing is emerging in Cleveland as Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) will mark a major milestone this week, when the nonprofit unveils its solar-powered pilot project in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. LMM’s solar homes will be rented to the social service agency’s clients who are facing financial barriers to housing.
A crane lowers the roof on the energy positive duplexes.More than two years in the making, the solar housing effort blends sustainability, accessibility, and long-term affordability—offering a fresh, practical approach to much-needed affordable housing in a project that the City of Cleveland Planning Commission calls “Cleveland’s housing of the future.”
The completion of Phase I will be marked with a ribbon cutting Tuesday, Nov. 18, introducing two impressive energy positive duplexes situated together—each with two 500-square-foot studio units. The total of four units will produce as much energy as they consume.
“It’s a game changer as there are not many new builds that are small and affordable, and there will be very little utility cost,” says Michael Sering, LMM’s chief program officer. “LMM is supportive of any housing strategy that can address the growing crisis, be it faster to build, less expensive, [or] lower operating cost. We are glad to contribute to the puzzle by owning and renting out the innovative solar homes.”
Available to four LMM low-income clients, the homes not only show how solar technology and smarter construction can dramatically lower both rent and utility costs, but these homes are also a safe, affordable, and beautiful housing option for those who need help the most.
The kitchen in one of the studio units.The houses are developed in partnership with PadSmart, a Westlake-based energy-efficient housing company established by Packy Hyland, founder of Hyland Software, and his son, Dan Hyland.
“Our mission is to build solar-powered, energy efficient homes that are easy to live in,” says Packy Hyland. “We produce a universal design with no steps or thresholds in the houses.”
Each unit features a full galley kitchen, a utility room with washer and dryer, large bathrooms with walk-in showers, lofted storage, and flexible living and dining areas, wide doors, lever handles, reachable controls, and smooth circulation paths that remain usable for people of all ages and abilities.
Living room in one of the efficiencies in Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry’s solar house protype.Energy performance is at the heart of the model, say the designers. Rooftop solar panels, superior insulation, energy-efficient HVAC, and ENERGY STAR appliances reduce energy use to less than half that of a typical home.
PadSmart uses “materials like galvanized steel framing, exterior foam insulation, and commercial-grade gypsum machining, as opposed to wood,” notes Hyland, “[which results] in reduced costs and enhanced efficiency.”
PadSmart’s panelized systems in the homes operate off of wall and roof panels built in the company’s Cleveland warehouse. “The cost savings comes from automation which increases quality and precision, reduces human labor costs, and adds the benefit of being able to produce wall and roof panels in a controlled climate environment,” says Hyland.
The in-factory production shortens building time by allowing PadSmart to go from just a foundation at the home site to “weathered in” in a single day, meaning the house is complete enough to keep out the elements like wind, rain and snow, so interior work can begin without fear of weather damage.
The four units are expected to be energy-positive for most of the year. “It is 100% electric—no gas,” Sering explains. “Over the course of the year, we hope to hit Net Zero. In the winter months there will be some draw from the electric company, while in the summer months we hope to sell excess electricity back to the grid.”
Sering says the exact cost of rent will be determined as soon as PadSmart completes the final energy testing numbers in the next few weeks, but he promises that rents will include utilities and be set below market value and targeted at just 30% of a resident’s income.
“Our tenants will be able to pay the modest rent—either through vouchers or their own income,” Sering explains.
The solar housing project, launched in early 2023, reflects LMM’s broader commitment to expanding affordable housing options in Cleveland’s Ward 7, which includes the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, where LMM already owns 20 renovated rental units for families exiting homelessness and maintains its Superior Avenue headquarters.
Hyland says he is glad his company can help make a difference. “I want to do something that has a positive and lasting impact. It’s rewarding to be able to get costs down for people who may otherwise not be able to afford to live in a new build like this. There’s a huge deficit in the country when it comes to homes being built with the features that we prioritize like efficiency and livability.”
West view rendering of the four-unity solar house prototype.The homes cost approximately $170,000 each. Nearly $20,000 went to necessary site preparation to remove the buried remains of a long-demolished house that had made the land unsuitable for construction. Cuyahoga County contributed approximately $200,000 to the project, with additional support coming from the City of Cleveland, PadSmart, Cuyahoga Land Bank, Cuyahoga Land Bank Charities, Cleveland Foundation, Dollar Bank, US Bank, Anthem, the Thatcher Family Fund, an anonymous corporate donor, individual donors, and others who helped bring the pilot to life.
Sering says LMM selected the St. Clair–Superior land parcels—made available through the Cuyahoga Land Bank and the City of Cleveland—partly because the area offers room for future solar homes. With just one other house on the street, the new construction fits comfortably into the streetscape without clashing with the architectural character of older Cleveland neighborhoods.
Sering says LMM is looking into possibly building out the rest of the street as additional funds are raised and Land Bank lots are secured. Sering adds there is potential for expansion to other layouts, such as single tiny homes, and a homeownership model.
“Solar is new to us,” he says, “but we really hope that we can replicate Phase I. The project has a ton of potential, and we’re really excited about it.
