The $32 million Stately Apartments Ithaca project combines 57 income-restricted homes, 20 supportive apartments, accessibility features, commercial space and on-site services in Ithaca’s West End.
Stately Apartments Ithaca, a new 57-home affordable and supportive housing development in Ithaca, is complete and beginning to lease, New York officials announced Wednesday.
The $32 million mixed-use project includes 20 supportive apartments reserved for eligible tenants experiencing homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence. Residents in those apartments will have access to on-site services through Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga.
All apartments are restricted to households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income. Six homes are fully accessible for residents with mobility disabilities, and three are adapted for residents with sensory disabilities.
The project was developed by Visum Development Group, Rockabill Development and Arbor Housing and Development. Details were released Oct. 21 by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and New York State Homes and Community Renewal.
What Stately Apartments includes
The Stately Apartments Ithaca development represents a significant investment in affordable housing in the region, providing vital support for low-income families and individuals.
The all-electric building includes studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments intended for different household sizes. It also has ground-floor commercial space, a community room, an outdoor children’s play area, a garden and a patio.
The location in Ithaca’s West End is within walking distance of public transportation, schools, restaurants, small businesses, the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, the Ithaca Farmers Market and the Ithaca Children’s Garden, according to the state.
That location matters because affordable rent is only one part of housing cost. A household can still face a heavy monthly burden if residents must travel long distances for work, school, groceries, health care or child care. Housing near transit and daily services can reduce some of those costs, although the benefit depends on each resident’s schedule and mobility needs.
The project replaced vacant property with a mixed-use building. State energy officials said its all-electric design and energy-efficiency measures are intended to reduce energy demand and help control long-term operating costs.
Twenty apartments pair housing with support
The 20 supportive apartments are intended for eligible tenants who have struggled with homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence. Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga will provide case management, financial planning, social wellness programming and trauma-informed support.
Supportive housing combines a permanent home with voluntary or individualized services. It is different from an emergency shelter. The goal is to give residents the stability of housing while making help available for the challenges that may have contributed to homelessness or made it harder to remain housed.
New York’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports will administer funding for the supportive units and is providing more than $2.4 million for the program. State officials also connected the housing to recovery support for residents affected by substance-use disorders.
Services should protect resident privacy and choice. A person should not have to discuss a traumatic experience publicly to receive accurate information about eligibility, and neighbors should not assume they know why someone lives in a supportive apartment.
How the $32 million project was financed
Stately Apartments uses several public and private financing sources. Federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits awarded through Homes and Community Renewal are expected to generate more than $17 million in private equity. HCR also provided more than $6 million in subsidy.
The Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership between HCR and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, provided more than $427,000 for energy-related work.
The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program contributed $4 million. The supportive housing program is funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, with more than $2.4 million in program support from the Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
Tompkins County’s Community Housing Development Fund provided another $100,000.
Those figures should not be treated as a simple stack of cash that can be added without context. Tax-credit equity, construction subsidies, operating support and service funding perform different jobs and may cover different periods. The public interest is whether the financing produces safe homes that remain affordable for the required term and whether support services are available as promised.
An earlier HCR financing announcement identified Stately Apartments as a 57-unit infill development and also included the 74-unit Utica Renaissance senior and supportive housing project in the Mohawk Valley.
What 60 percent of area median income means
Area median income, usually shortened to AMI, is a federal measure adjusted by location and household size. A limit of 60 percent AMI does not mean that every applicant pays 60 percent of personal income in rent. It means household income must fall within a published eligibility range for the apartment and household size.
Rent, utility allowances, minimum income rules and rental assistance can affect what a specific household qualifies for. Applicants should use the development’s current written income and rent schedule rather than trying to estimate eligibility from a statewide figure.
People with a housing voucher or rental subsidy should ask whether it can be used at the property. They should also ask which utilities are included, whether there is an application fee and what documents are needed. New York’s housing-search guidance says state-financed affordable housing is listed through the NYS Housing Search portal.
How to look for an apartment
- Search for Stately Apartments by development name on the state housing portal.
- Check Arbor Housing and Development’s rentals page, which lists the Ithaca property.
- Verify that an application or contact number comes from the state, Arbor Housing or another official project partner before sending personal documents.
- Ask for the income limits, rent, utility responsibility, accessibility features and application deadline in writing.
- Do not pay anyone who promises to move an application to the front of a waiting list.
- Keep a copy of the application, supporting documents and submission confirmation.
The governor’s release says leasing is beginning, but it does not state that every apartment remains available or provide a deadline. Availability can change quickly, so applicants should rely on the current official listing.
Accessibility was built into the project
Nine of the 57 apartments have specific accessibility adaptations. Six are designed for residents with mobility disabilities, while three are adapted for residents with sensory disabilities.
Applicants who need an accessible apartment should describe the required features through the official application process. They can also ask how accessible routes connect the apartment, entrance, community room, commercial area and outdoor spaces.
Accessible design benefits more than the household occupying a designated unit. Step-free entrances, wider routes and clear building navigation can help older adults, visitors with disabilities, parents using strollers and residents recovering from an injury.
Why this matters to Mohawk Valley readers
Stately Apartments is in Ithaca, not the Mohawk Valley, but the project demonstrates a financing and service model used across New York. It combines tax credits, state capital, local funds, clean-energy support and service funding rather than relying on a single program.
That model is relevant in Utica and Rome because local housing needs also include affordability, accessibility, homelessness prevention and support for people managing health or safety challenges.
The Phoenix has reported on state affordable-housing funding programs open to projects across New York. It has also covered True North Apartments in Rochester, where housing is paired with a community wellness clinic and support services.
The lesson is not that every project should look the same. It is that housing works better when planners consider transportation, energy costs, accessibility, services and neighborhood connections from the beginning.
Confidential help for survivors
Because some Stately Apartments units serve survivors of domestic violence, readers should know that confidential help is available statewide. The New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day in most languages.
- Call 800-942-6906
- Text 844-997-2121
- Use confidential online chat through opdv.ny.gov
If someone may monitor your device, use a safer phone or computer when possible and clear browsing history only if doing so will not increase danger. In an immediate emergency, call 911.
The Phoenix previously reported on a new accessible domestic-violence shelter and statewide survivor resources. Sharing verified hotline information privately can be more helpful than asking a survivor to discuss personal circumstances publicly.
What to watch next
The building is complete, but the public should continue to track leasing, commercial occupancy and long-term affordability. Useful measures include how quickly the apartments are occupied, whether accessible units reach people who need their features and whether supportive services remain adequately funded.
Project partners should also report energy performance and explain how residents benefit from the all-electric design. A building can be efficient on paper while households still need clear information about utility costs and tenant responsibilities.
For Ithaca, the development adds 57 homes near daily services. For the rest of New York, it offers another test of whether mixed-use supportive housing can create stability while strengthening a neighborhood.
