TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY (WSKG) – Even with state and federal moratoria in place, the fear of eviction still exists. A coalition in Ithaca, powered by a $1 million grant, is trying to address the problems faced by tenants vulnerable to eviction.
Liddy Bargar, a housing expert at the Tompkins County Human Services Coalition, said evictions are a racial equity issue.
“We know that based on the local data that we got that Black, female head of household is the highest, the most likely to be evicted in the City of Ithaca,” she said.
Ithaca Tenants Union protests outside a landlord’s office in downtown Ithaca. (Celia Clarke/WSKG)
$1M grant will help low-income tenants in Ithaca, city says
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A public-private collaboration has won a $1 million dollar grant to prevent displacement of low-income tenants in Ithaca. Partners include the City of Ithaca, Cornell Law School, Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. and the National Lawyers Guild student chapter at Cornell Law School.
Funds will be used to provide no-cost legal representation and information for tenants in the City; to offer last-resort rental arrears payments to prevent displacement; to establish a housing stability supplement program with monthly stipends and additional supports for tenants; to initiate regular monitoring of eviction cases in City Court and development of a comprehensive eviction database; and to pro