Homelessness Action Project at Cornell

LET'S GET TO WORK FOR ITHACA

OUR MISSION:

To serve our Ithaca neighbors.

Homelessness Action Project at Cornell is a student-led organization dedicated to combating homelessness in Ithaca. As a registered student organization at Cornell University, we foster meaningful change through collaborative partnerships. Through educational programming, events, community service, and fundraisers, we provide students with opportunities to turn their compassion into tangible impact.

View our 2025-2026 Impact Report

Homelessness is one of the most urgent issues of our time. According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, 210 people in Tompkins County were identified as homeless.

STUDENT-RUN, COMMUNITY-FOCUSED

Founded in Spring 2024, Homelessness Action Project at Cornell is committed to supporting efforts that uphold the dignity and rights of individuals experiencing homelessness, while striving to make a meaningful local impact and contribute to broader conversations around housing justice.



The Challenge

According to the 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates: 28.4% of people in Ithaca live below the poverty line. By contrast, 14.2% of people in New York State live below the poverty line. Ithaca’s poverty rate is roughly double the statewide average.

Despite the presence of a world-renowned university, many Ithaca residents face significant economic hardship—especially non-students, service workers, and renters. This reality reveals a deeper, persistent inequality within our local community and raises urgent questions about housing affordability, access to living-wage employment, and the adequacy of local support systems. As a university community, we must confront these disparities and work toward more equitable, informed responses to poverty and homelessness.

Equal Education and Employment. This organization is a registered student organization of Cornell University.