INHS Executive Director Kate de la Garza celebrated their first year of service to INHS and its communities on January 2, 2025. Read below for a Q&A with them that includes their most inspiring moment from the past year, and goals for the future. 

Reflecting on your first year leading INHS, what achievements are you most proud of, and what impact do you hope those achievements will have?

I am shocked that it has been a whole year already! I joined INHS at a pivotal time, with five large construction/renovation projects underway. I am incredibly proud that these are all either completed, in lease-up, or set to finish this year.

The new community development in the Village of Trumansburg stands out, with the completion of construction at Village Grove, off of South Street. We’ve seen enormous interest from people who want to live there. We can’t wait to celebrate its completion later this year, as it’s one of the first affordable Passive House-certified/geothermal heating/cooling systems in the State!

We are also now a staff of almost 50 people. I am enormously proud of how we meet residents and clients where they are in their lives, and strive to provide the best affordable housing experience in the region.

What have you found the most challenging, and how are you addressing that challenge?

One of the most challenging aspects in the world of affordable housing is the scarcity of funding for what we do. While INHS has a great track record of securing funding, especially from the State, we are no longer the only affordable developer in Ithaca and the region. So, making sure we are pipelining the right projects in the locations of greatest need, across our seven-county footprint, will always be both challenging and exciting.

There also exists a persistent bias against affordable housing, so this is something we try to meet head-on, as the lack of housing of all kinds is at crisis levels.  I would say we continue to get better and better at identifying possible projects inside and outside of Ithaca.

Can you share a moment from the past year that particularly inspired you?

We had a couple in one of our communities get married last year. They gathered in the community room at the property and invited friends, family, and INHS staff to the event. It was a real reminder to me of our shared hopes, dreams, and humanity. And that housing can be, and is, an extremely stabilizing force in our lives and communities.

What are your top priorities for 2025, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Now that I have a year under my belt, we’re looking to deepen our impact in every business line.

From a business perspective, this means scaling our internal systems and processes for growth, while at the same time placing residents and clients at the center of all we do. To this end, we will undergo comprehensive training as an organization to become more trauma-informed, while at the same time growing our new resident services function in property management.

As we head into a new administration, I will also be working hard locally and at the federal level to educate our leaders on the importance of our work and funding sources.

Lastly, we are approaching our 50^th anniversary in 2026, so we will be laying the groundwork for this enormous milestone!

As you mentioned, we’re looking forward to our 50^th anniversary in 2026. What are your visions for the next decade of INHS (and beyond!), and how can our supporters help achieve that vision?

My job as Executive Director is to steward INHS into the next 50 years on solid footing in terms of staffing, finances, impact, and direction. One of my greatest strengths as a leader is my ability to inspire collective action towards this vision, both internally and in the greater community. From our humble beginnings on the Southside of Ithaca, we now touch almost every corner of Ithaca and substantially beyond, as well.

I truly believe we have the best staff on hand to celebrate this achievement, and continue to push INHS into innovative, stabilizing, and inspiring territory.

We’re looking forward to showcasing the impact INHS has on the communities we serve and inviting the community to celebrate this milestone with us in 2026!