IURA hears funding pitches from local nonprofits as HUD allocations remain uncertain

Ithaca — At a March 7 special meeting, the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) heard funding pitches from more than a dozen local nonprofits seeking city-administered Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME and other public-service dollars as agencies warned demand is rising while federal and state funding streams remain uncertain.

The presentations covered housing navigation and transitional housing, legal and immigrant support, food-subsidy and community-supported agriculture, job training and placements, transportation access, and programs that help people with criminal-justice involvement and people in recovery find work. Several presenters said they rely on a mix of grants, donations and program income and urged the IURA and its review committees to consider the programs’ continuity if HUD or other expected funds fall short.

Why it matters: many of the programs that presented provide direct services to low- and moderate-income (LMI) Ithaca residents — from housing case management and emergency assistance to food distribution and free bicycle repairs — and several presenters said they have waiting lists or growing demand that local funding would help address.

Most prominent asks and program highlights

- Finger Lakes Reuse (Remap): Robin Elliott, chief operating officer, said the Remap reuse materials-access program began in 2017 and now works with “over 40 partners,” provides materials and local delivery, and assists an average of about 75 households per month. Remap issues gift cards that Elliott and staff said range from about $180 to $360, determined by household size and material type, and the program seeks IURA support to meet growing referrals.

- Human Services Coalition / 2-1-1: John Mazzello, deputy director, and Nicole Ralston, contact-center manager, described a proposal to support core generalist staff (about 1.4 full-time equivalent in their ask) to maintain information-and-referral services and to operate as…