Categories: New York State, Member News, Openings
06.18.2025
On June 17th, project partners and supporters gathered to celebrate the opening of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services’ (INHS) Village Grove Apartments, a new affordable and supportive housing residence in the Village of Trumansburg, New York. The two-story elevator building and two townhome buildings provide 46 homes including seven for veterans, and three for survivors of domestic violence. On-site services are provided by the Salvation Army Ithaca Corps and the Advocacy Center, funded by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). The project also provided funding to build the Trumansburg Community Nursery School.
INHS Executive Director Kate de la Garza opened the program saying, “Village Grove is INHS’s greenest development to date. It proudly holds both Passive House and Enterprise Green Communities certifications—two of the highest standards in sustainable building. However, this project isn’t just about green buildings. It’s about creating a healthy, resilient, and cost-effective place to live. A place where families of all income levels can thrive. A place that respects the environment and strengthens the fabric of our community.”
Tompkins County Legislator Anne Koreman said “In some ways, this is the new heart of the community.”
NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Senior Vice President of Multifamily Finance Alexa Sewell said “I wanted to acknowledge that you all are a pro-housing community here in Trumansburg, one of the earliest communities to sign up for that program. That has given you access to resources and an additional $750 million in state funding coming online for the affordable housing community. I look forward to being back soon!”
Director of Trumansburg Community Nursery School Deb Austic remarked “I’d like to express the deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make this development a reality. The vision of our own TCNS school building has long been a goal for our board, parents, and staff. As a small organization, our access to resources was limited and progress was slow. The partnership with INHS and our inclusion in the Village Grove development has allowed this longtime dream to become a reality. I cannot emphasize enough how much this opportunity means to us and how appreciative we are that INHS was willing to take the risk and leverage their resources to partner with us.”
Constituent Services Representative Chloe Moore on behalf of Senator Lea Webb remarked, “It’s groups like INHS that give me hope for the future especially in Tompkins County, which is facing a housing and childcare crisis. Our celebration today is not just for today, it’s for the future.”
NYS Homes and Community Renewal Assistant Commissioner Leonard Skrill remarked, “We love to support developments grown locally and organically. This development ticks a lot of boxes, with 46 affordable units including seven ESSHI units.”
NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Linda Camion said, “OTDA is proud of have contributed $2.25 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program that went towards the seven supportive units, and its continued commitment of funding to the Salvation Army and the Advocacy Center through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.”
Village of Trumansburg Mayor Rordan Hart remarked, “I’ve seen ideas come and go in this community so it’s exciting for me to officially congratulate INHS on this idea, which had turned out better than most. The pandemic changed my ideas about where we live. We are fortunate to live somewhere where people want to be part of but it’s important that people are able to afford it.”
Tenant at Village Grove Katherine Stewart said, “I’ve met fabulous people — some that are older than me, some younger than me, some that are totally different than me — but we get together, click, and we’re starting to form friendships,” she continued, “And the best thing, I think, for me is this space. I can make it my own. … And the favorite thing for me is the porch.”
Building amenities include electrical vehicle charging stations. The building is connected to off-site community solar, features high-performance windows and climate-specific moisture control, the homes are highly-insulated and designed with balanced ventilation systems as well as natural light and solar gain. Village Grove holds both passive house and enterprise Green Community Certifications, being INHS’ greenest development thus far.
Funding for this project comes from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance HHAP, NYSERDA, Tompkins County, , Community Development Financial Institution Capital Magnet Fund, Community Preservation Corporation, KeyBank, Key Community Development Corporation, New York State Empire State Development.
The general contractor is Purcell Construction and the architect is HOLT Architects.