INHS has assisted over 1,350 households to purchase their first home, totaling over $52 million in loans.

This critical program has provided homeowners with over 9,100 free repairs, helping seniors and those with disabilities to age safely and comfortably in their homes.

This historic school building was purchased by INHS and renovated into a mixed-use amenity for the community. Boasting twelve apartment units, a gymnasium that's available for public use, and office space rented to primarily local nonprofits, it remains a centerpiece of the Ithaca Southside community.

Growing beyond the Northside and Southside neighborhoods in Ithaca, this expansion marked the potential of INHS's adaptability to the needs of the community.

Paul Mazzarella served as INHS’s executive director from 1990-2017. Paul's vision and commitment to bettering the community paved the way for the organization to grow and become what it is today.

Although INHS offered homeowner courses earlier, our official Homebuyer Education Program began in 1993 and now offers nationally certified classes and counseling—helping over 10,800 households become successful homeowners.

In 2002, the staff of Leathers & Associates, led by Marc Leathers, worked with INHS, Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties, Cornell Habitat for Humanity, and community volunteers to replace the former Leathers & Associates playground built in 1971 outside of the Henry St. John Building in the Southside neighborhood of Ithaca.

As one of the nation’s first community development corporations to embrace Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards—the benchmark for national residential green building—INHS set the tone for sustainable development with the renovation of 502 First Street in Ithaca. Completed in 2007, the project earned prestigious LEED Gold certification, underscoring our commitment to both affordability and environmental responsibility.

Holly Creek was INHS's first home development in the Town of Ithaca, with 22 for-sale Community Housing Trust homes sold to low- to moderate-income households.

For nearly 40 years, INHS focused on the City of Ithaca while Better Housing of Tompkins County served rural areas. In 2014—after INHS expanded into seven counties—the two organizations joined forces to better meet the needs of residents, combining expertise in urban and rural housing.

In 2020, INHS launched a COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program, providing up to three months of rent relief and helping 155 households with over $430,000 in aid across four counties, including Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga, and Tompkins.

INHS purchased Verona Village, an aging 46-unit senior housing development in Ovid, in 2020. We completed a $10 million renovation in 2024, upgrading interiors, accessibility, and energy efficiency to reduce energy usage by 25% and revitalize the community.

On August 17, 2024, INHS hosted the unveiling of two life-sized bronze statues by sculptor Meredith Bergmann in downtown Ithaca—honoring trailblazers Frances Perkins and Lucy J. Brown—donated by a local benefactor as a gift to the community.

As INHS's rental portfolio expanded across four counties and nearly 1,000 units, we launched a Resident Services Program to support residents in crisis, connect them to resources, and foster community through events.

In 2023, INHS began redeveloping a vacant 1950s school in the Village of Cayuga into Wheat Street Apartments—a $17.6 million project completed in 2025 that created 47 affordable homes through adaptive reuse and new construction to meet local housing needs.

INHS is building for the future by expanding our Resident Services Program with trauma-informed care training and stronger tenant engagement, restructuring property management for nearly 1,000 units, and advancing 159 new homes across Varna, downtown Ithaca, and Auburn—including senior housing, supportive services, and sustainable Passive House design.