ITH Addresses Challenges Co-Op Houses Build Community, Support Among Residents

“We need to expand what we have,” Nalley said. “The goal is, of course, more frequency, more seats in the market, [which] brings our prices down, we fill them up, and then everything grows at that point.”

Nalley assured community members that the airport is aware of the public demand for bringing back the Washington Dulles flights, in addition to Florida and more West Coast travel options.

“We want to let everybody know that [in] 2023, our focus is to keep pushing this forward with the airlines, taking them to the table,” Nalley said.

To help assist the airport, the Tompkins County Legislature allocated $2.7 million over three years in its 2023 budget. According to Nalley, this was the first time in the history of the airport that leadership was put in the position to ask the county for financial support — the airport had always been self-sufficient.

Legislator Michael Lane of District 14 told community members at the town hall that the county is committed to the Ithaca airport.

“We need this airport because we are a global community,” Lane said. “We have to support this and we have to help them build up again. And you should all help… think about flying here instead of flying in Syracuse, and think about the extra money and the extra time and the extra lousy road up to Interstate 81 on cold, wintry nights.”

Airport leadership stressed that the convenience of the Ithaca airport is what community members need to consider most. According to Colbert, Ithaca residents can save over an hour and a half by flying out of Ithaca instead of Syracuse in drive and wait time.

“You may not be able to fly out of Ithaca, you might not be able to get a price to fly out of Ithaca, but try Ithaca,” Noble said. “Always try Ithaca first.”

CO-OPS

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Not only do co-ops offer opportunities for students struggling to find affordable housing after their freshman year, but they also allow students to work on their time management skills and leadership roles, since the house is run by live-in members. Once prospective residents receive a spot in the house, they have the option to live in for their remaining academic years, but it is not a requirement.

The mosey process considers diversity factors including race and disclosed LGBTQ+ identity along with need-based financial aid. Students who have financial need and do not receive an acceptance to their first-choice co-op house are more likely to receive spots in other co-op houses. Nonetheless, given the low number of available beds, the application process is quite competitive.

“It’s a lottery process based on equity,” Diamond said. “So it’s not like you’ll have no housing option [if you do not get admission to one co-op house]… Especially if you need [co-op housing], then [you’ll move to] the top [of the waitlist].”

Diamond only wanted to mosey 660 Stewart because they already knew some people who lived there. Regardless of their internal connections, Diamond was still placed on the waitlist before being selected.

Despite the competitive nature of the mosey process, many students who went through the mosey process highlighted the strong, inclusive community atmosphere that the co-ops provide, whether or not they were ultimately accepted into a co-op. Although Vera Kelly ’25 did not get into a co-op in Spring 2022, she loved getting to know live-in members at the events and understands the fair process students go through to find a community they can call home.

“It’s all about inclusivity and making the people inside the co-op feel as comfortable as possible,” Kelly said. “I do think they do a really good job of prioritizing people with financial difficulties.”