The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/homeless/)
Local officials explained and defended their reasoning for passing a new policy on Sept. 20 that will sanction a camping location in the local homeless encampment known as the “Jungle.”
As Ithaca’s homeless population rapidly expands, the “Jungle,” a stretch of homeless encampments located less than two miles away from Cornell’s Ithaca campus, creates controversies among Ithaca residents and leaders about approaches to aid the population.
Local non-profit Second Wind is planning to finish their Dryden construction project this summer, which will bring affordable housing options to homeless women.
Local nonprofits continue to balance their responses to the surge of need with public health standards that make in-person gatherings a challenge.
While COVID-19 poses unique challenges to all of Ithaca, St. John’s Community Services and the Tompkins Department of Social Services remain committed to helping the city’s homeless population.
On June 18, Quinton Lucas J.D. ’09 was elected mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. Lucas, 34, ran on a platform focused on expanding affordable housing, improving healthcare in the community, and criminal justice reform. During his run for mayor, Lucas was endorsed by the local police department, fire department and teachers’ union.
The building is run by Tompkins Community Action, an organization whose mission is to “sustain and improve economic opportunity and social justice for families and individuals impacted directly or indirectly by poverty,” according to the organization’s website.
Dozens attended the Ithaca Affordable Housing Panel, hosted by Cornell Roosevelt Institute, which featured three panelists from different areas of housing in Ithaca. The panel was organized in response to students’ difficulties in finding off-campus housing.
Correction appended. In a wooded stretch behind Ithaca’s Walmart known as “the Jungle,” dozens of homeless individuals live out of tents and sleeping bags, often battling poor weather and environmental conditions. Under New York State’s Code-Blue policy, Tompkins County is required to provide shelter for anyone who requests it when the temperature drops below 32 degrees. However, with last week’s polar vortex bringing the temperature down to as low as negative seven degrees to Ithaca, the request for shelter rocketed, according to the Ithaca Voice, leaving the County in a shortage of resources. Kit Kephart, commissioner for the Department of Social Services told Ithaca Voice that because the County does not have enough shelter beds, many people requesting shelter are housed temporarily in local churches or hotel rooms.
To help the homeless population in the county survive the winter, Winnie Ho ’19 collaborated with the Ithaca Homeless Crisis team to fundraise online from Jan.
Fontana has told his residents in his emails that the situation has made him “sick,” and that he is “fighting every hour to get [the residents] in as soon as possible.” However, despite his apologies and monetary compensation, residents argue that his efforts do not sufficiently ease the situations’ inconveniences.