NGUYEN | The Tale of Cornell’s Broken Housing Market

How did a humble college town in upstate New York become one of the least affordable zip codes in the United States? To piece together some answers, I turned to a number of local historical and academic sources. What I unearthed was a loose narrative of a small town warping under the weight of student demand.

DERY | Where Is the Dorm Pride?

Not all Cornell dorms are created equal. From the moment we arrive on campus, we quickly conclude that the back alleys of the Low Rise community pale in comparison to air conditioned, plasma TV-lit, Mews Hall lounges. Before we know it, our freshman year housing perceptions extend to the greater campus, locked into a standard metric: West is best, the Gothics are much less desirable and South Campus is the housing annex. Campus culture accustoms us to evaluating a dorm based on its amenities rather than what a residential community can offer beyond a roof over our heads. A residence hall and a community have become two very different things at Cornell.

Tompkins County Receives $900,000 Grant for Affordable Housing

Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a grant of $900,000 to create more affordable housing on Ithaca’s Hancock Street. This is the latest legislative push to build more accessible spaces in an area that has long struggled with rising prices.