Trumansburg certified as Pro-Housing Community

The village of Trumansburg has been officially certified as one of New York’s Pro-Housing Communities, village officials announced Friday, joining more than 330 municipalities in the state seeking to strengthen their chances to receive funding to tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The certification, designated by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, also celebrates the village’s commitment to addressing issues of housing affordability and supply.

The designation acknowledges municipalities that are actively working to create more housing opportunities and address the state’s housing shortage. 

In a press release, village officials estimate that about $650 million in state funds are now available to apply for following the “Pro-Housing” designation.

“We are thrilled to receive this certification,” village board member Ben Darfler said in a press release. Darfler, who has been the point of contact with the state on the designation process and the driving force behind the effort, is also the chair of the Comprehensive Plan & Zoning Revision committee.

“It reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring that all our residents have access to safe, affordable housing,” Darfler said. “This recognition will help us further our efforts in creating a more inclusive community and improving our infrastructure.”

Being designated a Pro-Housing Community gives Trumansburg a leg up when applying for funding through the following state programs:

• Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI): The DRI is meant to transform downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers full of redevelopment, business, job creation and economic and housing diversity. Municipalities selected for this program receive up to $10 million in funds to transform their downtowns.
  
• NY Forward: Similarly to the DRI program, NY Forward funds are meant to invigorate and enliven downtowns in the state. This program is best tailored to smaller and rural communities, according to the state’s website. For Trumansburg to qualify, the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council (STREDC) would have to recommend the village’s downtown redevelopment plan. Municipalities are eligible for grants of $4.5 million or $2.25 million, based on their respective regional economic development council’s recommendations.
  
• Other programs include STREDC Consolidated Funding, capital projects from the Market NY initiative, the NY Main Street program and the Public Transportation Modernization Enhancement program.
  

The village board announced Friday that it is seeking to capitalize on the designation on a short timeline.

Taking immediate advantage of this new status, the village board has authorized the submission of a 2024 Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) for the Capital Improvement Grant for Pro-Housing Communities. The application seeks funding for a critical inflow and infiltration (I&I) project within the existing sanitary sewer collection system.

“This infrastructure project is vital for our community. We’ve documented I&I issues in our collection system for many years, which results in occasional flow ‘violations’ above our sewer plant’s permitted capacity,” Mayor Rordan Hart said in a press release. “Even though the plant can handle much higher volume, New York only permits a certain amount, and I&I pushes us to and sometimes through that limit.  This grant would help us address these challenges and improve our overall wastewater management.”

The certification and grant application come at a crucial time, when New York state faces significant housing challenges. Since 2015, rents have risen 40% to 60%, and home prices have increased 50% to 80% across the state. More than half of New York renters are rent-burdened, spending over 30% of their income on rent. In Trumansburg, the median home sale price is up almost 90% from 2019 prepandemic levels.

“Our Pro-Housing Community certification and this grant application represent our proactive approach to community development,” Darfler added. “We’re committed to addressing housing needs and ensuring our infrastructure can support sustainable growth.”

Officials said that the village will remain committed going forward to maintaining its Pro-Housing status and will continue to work closely with state agencies to ensure all residents have access to affordable, equitable housing options supported by robust infrastructure.

Ulysses Connection appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com. Contact Eddie Velazquez at edvel37@gmail.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @ezvelazquez.

In brief:

Trumansburg High School senior Beyonca Akers has been announced as the “Service Above Self Award” recipient for the month of June by the Trumansburg Rotary Club.

Rotary’s Service Above Self award was instituted to recognize students in the Trumansburg Central School District, including those who are home schooled. Each monthly winner receives a $50 gift certificate to a Trumansburg business of their choice.

Akers was nominated by Jennie Mayo, who is a member of the high school staff.

“Beyonca regularly volunteers to help and support activities within the high school and district-wide,” Mayo said. “She was a key member of the high school’s first Day of Service. She helped with the gardening at the middle school and was an asset to the team. She is a true leader, always finding ways to support and help the school community. She is an active member of the Maple Syrup project within the [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics] Department, and joyfully interacts with younger students as they participate in the project.”