ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) -- County and state officials gathered Friday afternoon to celebrate the completion of a roughly $27 million affordable housing development. Located at 320 West Buffalo Street, inside will be 75 affordable and supportive apartments in addition to commercial space for two local nonprofits.  

“There are drop-in centers, a laundry facility, access to counselors, resource providers; this is just a place where an at-risk youth could come and feel safe.” Johanna Anderson, Executive Director of Ithaca Housing Services, said.   

Developed by the Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, the project required combining part of the old immaculate conception school building with newly built apartments.    

“We ended up keeping and restoring a portion of the multi-family building and then building new construction piece,” Anderson said, adding, “If you imagine where the old meets the new was very complicated to piece the two together.”   

New York State Assistant Commissioner of Homes and Community Renewal Leonard Skrill says Ithaca, along with Saratoga Springs, has one of the tightest rental markets in upstate New York. He hopes the project will help get more Ithacans into affordable housing, including those transitioning out of homelessness.   

“This project both expands the supply for generic low-income people while also providing supportive apartments for people with disabilities and individuals who've experienced homelessness,” Skrill said “Hopefully it's a down payment on a problem that still needs solving.”   

More information about the new housing development can be found online.