On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Cafe where John Schroder led a discussion about Ithaca’s housing developments from the 1880s to present-day. I learned a lot about Ithaca’s past during this talk. For example, when Cornell was first founded, nearly all students lived with their families in homes rather than in dormitories. Also, College Avenue originally did not connect Cornell to Collegetown; a bridge was later built as enrollment grew and the need to be connected to a fire station emerged.

We explored the housing challenges in recent years, as Cornell enrollment rises and apartment buildings are being built and torn down. Rent rates have skyrocketed since the 1980s with the first big development in Collegetown – the Eddy Gate apartments. People have always hoped that the construction of new apartments would bring new competition and therefore lower rents. However, the housing situation is not really a free market, as most of the real estate is owned by a small number of people, resulting in an oligarchy. In addition, Cornell does not pay property taxes since it is a nonprofit, while still using public services like fire and police departments. As a result, Ithaca residents pay higher property taxes (directly or through higher rents). These high taxes ultimately drive some people away from Ithaca into nearby communities.

A few days before this Rose Cafe, Cornell announced a plan for new on-campus housing on North Campus, with 2,000 new beds being completed by 2021. We analyzed the difficulties of maintaining Cornell’s existing housing, particularly the older Gothic buildings. While 2,000 beds seem like a step in the right direction, Cornell will gradually expand enrollment by 1,000 students and take existing dormitories like Balch Hall offline for much-needed, lengthy repairs. I hope that the housing situation will improve with plans like this one, and I look forward to more events like this Rose Cafe to learn more about Ithaca and our community.