INHS and the Gavras Center i excited to announce that construction at 255 Wheat Street, converting the former Cayuga Elementary School into the Wheat Street Apartments, is well underway. 

To refresh everyone on the project details, you can find a fact sheet that describes the project and responds to questions you may have as a community member and neighbor of the development below.

What is Wheat Street Apartments?
Located at 255 Wheat Street, the project includes the redevelopment of the former Cayuga Elementary School, a 40,000 square foot elementary school and associated property into affordable housing units for low-to moderate-income households.

What is affordable housing?
Affordable housing is defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as housing where the cost of rent plus utilities totals no more than 30% of a household’s gross income.

People moving into affordable housing have to meet both minimum and maximum income requirements to qualify for the unit. Once they live there, they generally can stay even if their income goes up. 

What kind and how many units/houses are included in the project?
In total, there will be 47 units of affordable housing. Thirty-one units will be in the former elementary school building, and 16 units will be located in three new townhome buildings constructed adjacent to the elementary school.

How long will the project take?
Construction will last 14 months.  Construction began in January 2024.  The townhouses will be completed between December 2024 and January 2025.  The apartments in the former Cayuga Elementary school will be completed in March 2025. Applications will be available in July 2024.

Who will own and manage the project?
The project will be owned by Wheat Street LLC, of which Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services is the managing member. Better Housing for Tompkins County, an affiliate of INHS, will be the Property Manager. The Gavras Center is a partner in this project and will provide assistance and supportive services to nine individuals living at Wheat Street Apartments who have an intellectual or development disability. 

Are there units that will be set aside for a specific demographic?
Yes. The project team has committed to housing nine individuals who have an intellectual or developmental disability. Additionally, the funding sources used for the project require that all units be set aside for specific household income levels, based on the Area Median Income. 43 units are reserved for households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income and four units are reserved for households with income up to 70% of Area Median Income.

When will applications be available?
Applications were posted and distributed beginning on July 18^th, 2024.  Units will be filled by lottery which will be streamed live on Facebook at facebook.com/ithacanhs on September 30, 2024 at 3:00 pm.

To be included in the lottery, applications submitted in-person or electronically are due by September 16, 2024 and applications submitted by mail must be postmarked by September 16, 2024. After September 16, any applications submitted will be placed on the waitlist in the order received.

The townhouses will be completed between December 2024 and January 2025.  The apartments in the former Cayuga Elementary school will be completed in March 2025. Applications will be available in July 2024. 

Who is eligible to apply?
Anyone may apply, but only those households whose income levels fall within the required parameters can be considered for occupancy.

How will you determine who will be living at Wheat Street Apartments?
All applicants will be entered into a lottery, and on the appointed date and time names will be drawn to create an ordered list of all applicants. Working down that list, the Property Manager will go through the process of reviewing each applicant’s materials to confirm whether they qualify for an apartment. If there are more applicants than available apartments, the lottery list will form the basis of the waiting list for the project. In addition to meeting income requirements, households will undergo a background check prior to approval, as permitted by New York State Homes and Community Renewal and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. 

Are the apartments subsidized?
Our future tenants who have an intellectual or developmental disability are eligible to receive rental assistance from the NYS Office for People with Development Disabilities.  The project itself does not have rental subsidies.

Have you built similar houses elsewhere?
INHS was established in 1976 and since that time has been the sole developer of, or collaborated with other developers to complete, 1,245 units of rental housing. Better Housing for Tompkins County, INHS’s Property Management affiliate, currently manages 575 units in 75 buildings, all owned by INHS.

View renderings in the gallery below.