A. O. Smith, a leader in water heater manufacturing, recently donated 24 tankless water heaters valued at over $25,000 to House of Hope Village, a community of highly efficient tiny homes which will provide temporary, dignified transitional housing to community members in need.

The project, which broke ground mid-September 2020, is located in Florence, South Carolina. On September 30, House of Hope Village unveiled the first four completed homes set to accommodate members of the community in need of transitional housing. The ribbon cutting event hosted guests from House of Hope, A. O. Smith, key donors, city council members and local media outlets. Bryan Braddock, executive director of House of Hope offered remarks and announced the collective gifts and donations will allow them to complete the project fully funded. The project is valued at a cost of $1.7 million dollars.

“We are so grateful to A. O. Smith for the donation of tankless water heaters for each of the homes in Hope Village. This product donation alleviates a large portion of costs for each home, and also provides consistent, clean, hot water for our residents. A. O. Smith offered us the first in-kind donation of this magnitude and truly set a trend for other companies to get involved,” said Bryan Braddock, executive director at House of Hope. “Hope Village aims to provide transitional housing and educational opportunities for families in our community, offering them a chance to stay together under one roof and create a new path for a brighter future.”

Eyeing a December 2021 completion date, House of Hope Village will be a fully outfitted community ideal for families. The development will feature a community center, laundry center, privacy and security fence, gated access, playground, garden boxes, 24-hour security, landscaping, and more. All of these amenities are thanks to a variety of local and national donors, including A. O. Smith.

“Clean, hot, healthy water is essential for any family, and House of Hope has created a great opportunity for A. O. Smith to help the Florence community through donating these units to such an amazing cause,” said Nick Grady, fabrication product manager at A. O. Smith. “A. O. Smith’s tankless water heaters provide consistent, reliable, and efficient hot water and it is our hope these units will assist in easing the transition of those who reside in House of Hope Village, as well as cut down on energy consumption and utility bill costs.”

A. O. Smith’s donation will help bring hot water on demand to the residents of Hope Village. While tankless units are excellent space-savers for these tiny homes, they also offer a variety of other benefits that will help Hope Village in the long run.

Running a tiny home village like Hope Village comes at a cost, but because tankless water heaters run at a higher efficiency than a traditional storage tank water heater, they decrease utility costs. Additionally, tankless water heaters have a longer life span, which will greatly benefit House of Hope’s long-term costs.