Tompkins County advisory committee hears housing equity indicator showing renters increasingly cost‑burdened

Megan McDonald, deputy commissioner of planning and sustainability for Tompkins County, told the Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee on June 22 that housing affordability was selected as the committee’s first equity indicator because affordability repeatedly topped public responses in the county’s strategic operations plan. “County planning departments do not have land‑use authority in New York,” McDonald said, explaining why the department framed the indicator around affordability and its effects rather than permitting data.

McDonald described the indicator’s data sources and limits: race and tenure breakdowns rely on the decennial census, while housing‑cost burden figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey five‑year estimates, which smooth results for smaller populations. “If you’re paying more than 30% of your pre‑tax income for housing and related costs, you’re cost‑burdened; more than 50% is severely cost‑burdened,” she said, noting the ACS methodology and the lag in releases mean the data are best for identifying trends rather than precise short‑term changes.

Committee members pressed McDonald on how the survey treats households and students. John Halachuk, assistant director of 911, asked whether the burden figures reflect individuals or family households; McDonald replied the data are tabulated by household and cautioned that students renting off campus can affect local estimates. “Students show up in this data when they rent off campus; dormitories are counted differently,” she said.

McDonald also outlined local programs that address housing need, including an active housing rehabilitation grant and the Community Housing Development Fund, a partnership among the county, the city of Ithaca and Cornell University that funds affordable rental and for‑sale projects. She said the fund’s current memorandum of understanding is set to expire at the end of 2027 and partners will negotiate a new agreement next year.

Members discussed the indicator’s utility and limits. Leon Holden, the county’s chief equity and diversity officer, praised the presentation and urged departments to use qualitative engagement alongside the indicator. Irene Weiser and others asked whether more local or targeted surveys, partnerships with research programs, or budgeted small studies could produce a clearer short‑term picture; McDonald said past attempts to commission locally superior rent/vacancy surveys were cost‑prohibitive and often could not outperform the ACS in statistical reliability.

The presentation closed with the committee noting the indicator should be used to inform decisions and direct resources but that local implementation will require cross‑departmental coordination and additional qualitative outreach to underrepresented groups. The department included contact information and the indicator as an appendix to the county’s housing snapshot for members seeking the underlying data.

The committee did not take formal action on the indicator; McDonald said staff will answer follow‑up technical questions and share contact details for the housing team.