HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
AUGUST 21, 2003 - 9:00 A.M.
SCOTT HEYMAN CONFERENCE ROOM

Present:  M. Robertson, N. Schuler, P. Penniman, M. Koplinka-Loehr
Excused:  F. Proto
Staff:    S. Whicher, H. Filiberto, A. Deluca
Guests: L. Strong, J. Gutenberger, R. Pendall, Cornell University; C. Nocera, American Red Cross; M.     Dill, Human Services Coalition; J. Williams, Unity House; A. Tutino, Ithaca Journal

Called to Order

    Ms. Robertson called the meeting to order at 9 a.m.

Changes to the Agenda

    The following changes were made to the agenda:

    Discussion on housing - report by Rolf Pendall
    Distribution and discussion/update - 2003 Committee goals

    Ms. Robertson announced the Committee will receive a presentation in September on the Department of Social Services budget situation.

    Ms. Robertson said the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) authorization at the federal level is very disturbing and there could be some very large local impacts with what happens.  She said the House has passed legislation and the Senate is deliberating over its legislation at this time.  Ms. Robertson said she will be working with Mary Pat Dolan, Commissioner of Social Services, to prepare a resolution for this Committee and the full Legislature to address the TANF issue and present Tompkins County's position.

Approval of the Minutes of August 6, 2003

    It was MOVED by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, seconded by Mrs. Schuler, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present, to approve the minutes of August 5, 2003 with the changes suggested by Ms. Robertson.  MINUTES APPROVED.

Presentation on Cornell University Student Housing - The Present and Future

    Mr. Strong, Assistant Vice President for Student and Academic Services, made the following presentation to the Committee:
Residential Initiative Policy Statement

    Cornell University will provide supportive residential communities that contribute to an intellectually-engaged and socially-responsible campus environment.  

Residential Initiative Basic Principles:

    Continue to provide a broad range of housing alternatives;
    Guarantee housing to freshman, sophomores, and transfer students; 
    Residents will serve as active participants in programs and governance;
    Faculty will be actively engaged;
    Include sufficient numbers of upper division students as mentors;
    Create a supportive environment;
    Appeal to upper division students
    Assure that freshman have the widest possible exposure to the full range of intellectual cultural,and social opportunities available at Cornell.

Where Undergraduates Live - Fall Semester, 2002

    Off-Campus - 45%
    Fraternities/Sororities - 11%
    Cooperative Houses - 1%
    Program Houses - 8%
    Traditional Residence Halls - 35%

Where Graduates and Professionals Live - Fall Semester, 2002

    Graduate Residential Halls - 11%
    Graduate Apartments - 3%
    Off-Campus - 86%
 
    Mr. Strong said in 1997 Cornell recorded 5,603 undergraduate beds.  By the time the Residential Initiative got started that number grew to 5,770 and today there are 5773 undergraduate beds.  There are about 13,000 undergraduates and 5,500 graduate students.  As of the housing audit report that was finished yesterday, there were 134 vacancies for undergrads.   The first year enrollment that was planned for was 3,100; they are expecting, as of yesterday's audit, 3,157 first-year students to actually show up. 
   
    Mr. Strong said Cornell University owns a little more than half of its student housing which includes fraternities and sororities.

    West Campus houses an approximate total of 1,800 students and they are increasing the size of the building to create better social/study space.  The new buildings will have the same number of beds.

    Mr. Penniman asked if Cornell is looking to create more housing and to bring more students on site?  Mr. Strong said in looking at occupancy statistics, Cornell has been averaging 180 vacancies on the undergraduate side for the last several years.  On the graduate side they would like to do a budget plan at 96.5% occupancy.  At the same time they are looking very carefully and trying to anticipate what is going to happen with student demand, as there is an interest by parents in having younger students live on campus.   This is why the University offers a first and second year guarantee, although they have only captured approximately 50% of the second year students.  The vacancy rate for grad student housing is at the high end of 80%.

    Ms. Robertson asked if Mr. Strong could provide any reasons why students have chosen to live elsewhere.  Mr. Strong stated when it comes to the graduate community they have found that price sensitivity is the driving reason and are also finding that this fall with undergraduates.  He said at the present time he is dealing with six cases of students who came back to town the first week of August and who found better deals off campus although they had contracted for housing on-campus.  He said he had to advise them that that wasn't grounds for a contract release. 

    Mr. Koplinka-Loehr asked what the policy of Cornell University is with regard to owning more fraternities.  Mr. Strong said in 1999 the College established a standards agreement that members of fraternities were required to sign.  They were given three years to implement the program and changes that the agreement stipulated and it was clearly stated what the expectations were.  Fraternities developed their own plan and some were more successful than others.  In some cases, chapters have decided they were not interested in abiding by the rules and some have resigned themselves with properties being converted to the university.  In other cases the alumni have turned properties over, and in other situations, the upkeep and maintenance got to be too expensive for fraternities to afford.  

    There was discussion about how much of an individual's income is spent on housing.  Ms. Robertson said the federal guidelines for affordable housing state that a family shouldn’t have to pay more than 30 percent of its income on housing.  On a Countywide basis, almost 50 percent of residents pay 30 percent or more of their income towards housing.  She said she is very interested in seeing this information without the inclusion of the student component

    Mr. Penniman spoke of comparing Cornell housing with off-campus housing.  He said given the fact that Cornell University does not have to pay property taxes and also receives lower-cost financing, it does not make sense to him why it would cost more to live on-campus than off-campus.    Mr. Penniman said this is one of the factors that encourages people to live off campus and ultimately has a big effect on the housing market in general in Tompkins County.   He asked if Cornell housing is generating a surplus that is helping to subsidize other Cornell operations.  Mr. Strong responded that it is not and in order to have Cornell facilities be at their optimal condition they are still undercharging; to cover all costs would require that fees be about 8% higher.    Mr. Strong said when the university was founded it was the intention that there would be no student housing.  He said all of the housing that has emerged since 1865 has come from an enterprise perspective.  It is his personal opinion that Cornell is still challenged in terms of condition of the infrastructure of the buildings and it would cost approximately $75 million to bring them to the condition they should be in. 

    Ms. Robertson said if Cornell were to increase its occupancy rate it would result in a "win-win" situation for both the County and Cornell.   Mr. Whicher asked what the current housing rates are for Cornell.  Mr. Strong responded singles are $6,300, doubles are $5,900, and triples are $5,500; each is for 9 1/2 months.   Singles are 90 to 130 sq. ft, doubles are 120 to 150 sq. ft, and triples are 180 sq. ft.
   
    Ms. Robertson asked if there is any way the County and Cornell could work together.  Mr. Strong said it is very important that information continue to be shared.  He said four years ago he made a presentation to a planning symposium where many community representatives were in attendance.  There was some criticism of the University not doing very much to improve the condition of its housing and competing with other housing markets in the community.   Mr. Strong said the reason for improving the conditions of the buildings at Cornell is to make housing as safe as possible and to protect the integrity of the structure. 

    Mr. Gutenberger referred to a study that was conducted by the Ithaca Downtown Partnership.   He spoke of owner-occupied housing and said the study shows that the City of Ithaca has only 22-24% owner-occupied housing.  Ms. Robertson said this figure suggests that other communities are doing a better job of maintaining owner-occupied housing than Tompkins County.  Mr. Pendall stated the low ownership rate in Ithaca is low even for New York State, but all upstate New York State cities generally have a lower homeownership rate than surrounding towns and villages do.  Mr. Gutenberger mentioned the apartments done in Collegetown during the 1990’s, when about 2,000 new beds were built. He asked whether that seemed to have an effect on the overall market, and Mr. Nocera said the Red Cross did see a positive impact. It wasn’t significant enough to cause rents to drop, but it did open up a few more options for low income people.

    Ms. Robertson said the County Planning Department is working on its comprehensive plan which contains an affordable housing component.   She said it is important for Cornell to know that its policies and prices have a big effect on the community and its important that information continue to be shared.   Mrs. Schuler also commented that other Ivy schools make contributions in lieu of taxes to their communities, i.e., day care centers, senior centers.

Report by Rolf Pendall of the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell  University

    Mr. Pendall reviewed a couple of areas which he feels are important to the issue of housing in Tompkins County. 

    Affordability:  Although almost half of renters may pay over 30 percent of their income for rent, this is actually lower than the nationwide average but higher than Upstate New York.  Approximately a third of renters in Upstate pay more than 35 percent of the income for rent.   He said the problems for affordability for renters are much more acute than the problems for home owners.  Although some homeowners have problems making their mortgage payments or paying their taxes, they are making an investment in a property.   

    Mr. Pendall said that the national housing policy can be characterized as “trickle down.” New home construction sprawls outside cities, as the urban core housing stock falls into disrepair. The result is that poverty tends to be concentrated in cities, but in fact city taxpayers end up subsidizing outer towns. Mr. Pendall said “We’ve ‘solved’ the affordable housing problem by letting city homes deteriorate.”  Older housing often has lead paint, for one thing.  Much of this housing stock can be said to be “totaled,” or not worth the cost of fixing it up.

    Ms. Robertson said if prices to buy housing are high enough, there is a transitional group that can never make it into buying a house.  Mr. Pendall said he tends to think of the problems for that transitional group as being such things as having to commute longer distances to find housing they can afford.  He said the people who are really burdened by the rental cost affordability don't have as many choices as that transitional group.   He said poverty has become concentrated in cities and to a lesser extent in villages in Upstate New York.  This is in part because of the decisions that are made about how to solve affordable housing problems.  He said the way the County solves affordable housing problems creates other problems and he believes a solution to that should be found. 

     Mr. Deluca asked if Mr. Pendall felt people are being pushed out of Tompkins County.  Mr. Pendall said he believes more people are moving to Schuler and Cortland counties.  He said it is very apparent that many people commute to Tompkins County for employment.
   
    Mr. Pendall spoke of the class he will be teaching this semester in a graduate program in City Planning entitled "Planning a Plan for Affordable Housing in Tompkins County".  He said this class was inspired by his concern over the hostility in three of the County's villages:  Trumansburg, Groton, and Dryden over housing proposals.  He said he intends to use some census data, windshield surveys, interviews, and review of local zoning ordinances to get a better idea of what the needs are and what the opportunities and constraints are for affordable housing on a Countywide basis.  He said the class will also take a closer look at each jurisdiction.  The first part of the semester will be to conduct a needs assessment.  During the second semester there will be an exploration of how other regions have dealt with the need for affordable housing.  

    Mr. Pendall stated students will present their findings at meetings in October and December and all members of the Legislature are welcome to attend.   He encouraged the Committee to think about what kind of information they would like students to produce or expand on in greater detail.  Mr. Koplinka-Loehr asked that the issue of diversity in the housing stock be considered.     It was also suggested that the students speak with Mr. Nocera of the American Red Cross. 

    Mr. Pendall said he will be working closely with the County Planning Department and will keep the Committee informed about the program.

    Ms. Dill said over the last ten years the Coalition has secured a significant amount of funds by applying for grants through HUD (Housing and Urban Development).  She stated there are currently efforts underway to create additional housing for people who are coming out of the emergency shelter.

Unity House/Green Street House
   
     Joyce Williams, Executive Director of Unity House, provided the Committee with an overview of the Agency.  She said Unity House is a not-for-profit agency that serves adults with disabilities such as mental illness, mental retardation, developmental disability, or alcohol, drug, or substance abuse.  Currently, they provide residential, employment, educational and rehabilitative services to approximately 700 people in a seven-county area including Tompkins County.  The Agency began in 1977 as a provider of mental health services in Cayuga County and over the years they have grown to a budget of $10 million, of which one-third is spent in Tompkins County.  In 1997, Unity House became the successor to HOMES, Inc. 

    Ms. Williams said the Green Street House offers transitional and permanent housing for men and women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.  Green Street House, which was established in 1991, is a clean, safe haven with 18 private bedrooms and several large, shared living spaces.     She said there are currently 18 individuals living in the Green Street House and 87 in the certified programs.   She stated the beds are full and because there is a great need for this type of housing, there is always a waiting list. 

    The Department of Health is the overseeing body but it provides no funding. The residence has always been in compliance with the regulatory reviews.  Satisfaction surveys received from residents also show that they are very satisfied with the services they receive in the home and with non-residential services they receive from Unity House.  

    Ms. Williams stated Unity House gets $15,000 from the City and $30,000 from the County per year but it continually gets harder to operate financially.  Funding comes from sources such as public assistance, social security, Department of Social Services, City of Ithaca, grant writing, and HUD.  At the present time Unity House is attempting to increase the number of beds at the Green Street House from 18 to 28 beds.  They have identified this in the HUD application as something they would like to have happen in 2005 at a total cost of $390,000.   She said prior to making a commitment to HUD they need to have half of the cost ($195,000) pledged.   Mr. Whicher asked if the Agency is permitted to carry debt on behalf of Unity House.  Ms. Williams said she believes so, however, she is not sure how HUD would view that.  She said she has been exploring various sources and methods by which this could be financed.  Mr. Whicher said it is very expensive to house individuals in the emergency shelter and it would in the best interest of all parties if the County were to assist Unity House in carrying out this project.    Mr. Whicher will meet with Ms. Williams to discuss funding options for this project. 

Budget Adjustment

    It was MOVED by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, seconded by Mrs. Schuler, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present, to approve the following budget adjustment and submit to the full Legislature:

Mental Health
Revenue Acct              Title                                               Amt          Approp Acct     Title(s)   
4311.43485                    OMH Comm. Reinvest.            $   4,039      4311.54400      OMH Flex
4311.43485                    OMH Comm. Reinvest.            $       95       4311.54400      OMH Flex
4318.43488                    ICM MH                                     $     359       4318.54400      OHM Comm. Reinvest.
4319.43488                    ICM MH                                     $  1,077       4319.54400      ICM MH
4319.43485                   OMH Comm. Reinvest.             $12,576       4319.54400      OMH Comm. Reinvest.
4335.43485                   OMH Comm. Reinvest.             $     650       4335.54400      ICM MH
Explanation:  New State funding amounts since County Budget Inception.
SEQR ACTION TYPE II-20
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Budget Review Schedule

    The Committee established the following dates to review 2004 departmental budget submissions:

    September 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
    September 11 from 9 a.m. to Noon
    September 18 from 9 a.m. to Noon

    Mr. Whicher will work with Ms. Robertson to develop a schedule by department.
   
Committee Goals

    Ms. Robertson distributed a status report on adopted Committee Goals for 2003.  It was the consensus of the Committee to provide the Legislature with an update on these goals in December.

Adjournment

    The meeting adjourned at 11 a.m.

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