This is the second part of a two-part series analyzing socioeconomic issues at Cornell and in the surrounding community.

When most Cornell students walk into Wegmans for a routine grocery run, they are not thinking about Ithaca’s homeless only a few hundred yards away.

The Jungle is a small tract of land located between the railroad tracks and the Lake Cayuga inlet that provides a safe haven and a sense of community for several of the city’s homeless.

The city has no jurisdiction to kick the residents off the land because the railroad owns the land; in fact, conductors on passing trains often throw water and supplies into the Jungle.

As many cities around the country struggle to make ends meet, some communities are looking toward non-profit institutions for greater financial assistance. In keeping pace with this trend, this past June the University outlined the first installment of the $20 million it pledged to donate to Tompkins County for housing, infrastructure and transportation improvements.

Accordingly, the University plans to spend over $1 million each on housing and transportation efforts in 2009 to help attract a new generation of talent and meet the local demand for employee and student housing. Cornell is looking to invest specifically in home buying programs and new housing developments along with road repairs and pedestrian and biker safety.