Bridged Ep. 4: Trumansburg’s Controversial Plan to Address Housing Insecurity

On this week’s Bridged episode, we discuss Hamilton Square, a new housing development in Trumansburg. Proposed by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, or INHS, and Claudia Brenner, a local architect. Hamilton Square promises mixed-income housing, in a comfortable and convenient location.

The project’s mixed market-rate and low-income development has become highly controversial, with Trumansburg residents skeptical of how it will affect the small community of less than 2,000. Alena Fast, a real estate developer at INHS discusses the positive impact Hamilton Square could bring to Trumansburg and the housing crisis.

We also look deeper into the technical intricacies of the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV), commonly known as Section 8. Established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, HVC assists low-income families and individuals in accessing affordable housing. Lee Dillon and Danielle Herrington of Tompkins Community Action, and Deborah Dietrich and Meghan Hogan, of Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources of Tompkins County (OAR) sat with us to explain some of the obstacles individuals applying for Section 8 may face.