Homelessness Action Project at Cornell

LET'S GET TO WORK FOR ITHACA

OUR MISSION:

To serve our Ithaca neighbors.

Homelessness Action Project at Cornell (HAPC) is a student organization using education and action to alleviate housing insecurity in Ithaca. We use our direct service, community involvement, and advocacy efforts to address root causes and support immediate and long-term solutions for local housing deprivation. This organization is a registered student organization of Cornell University.

Members delivering non-perishable food to St. John's Community Services to support those in need.

Our members created care packages for St. John's Community Services’ new sober living facility, Serenity House, which opened last month. Serenity House provides transitional housing to support individuals recovering from addiction, offering a temporary yet supportive environment to help them move from homelessness to permanent housing.

ABOUT US:

HAPC: In service of Ithaca

Homelessness Action Project at Cornell is a registered student organization of Cornell University using education and action to alleviate housing insecurity in Ithaca, New York. We recognize that as Cornell students we hold a unique position in the greater Ithaca community and housing advocacy ecosystem. We aim to use that positionality to our advantage in advocating for just structural solutions.

What We Do

STUDENT-RUN, COMMUNITY-FOCUSED

We aim to serve the community in Ithaca and address the structural issues surrounding homelessness and poverty by partnering with a network of local advocacy organizations and direct service providers.

Determined to address a global problem through local activism, easing local homelessness is the foundation of our dynamic organization. Engaging in direct service, we continually work to maximize our positive community impact. With each of our projects, we ensure our service and your support go where the help is needed most.

THE CHALLENGE

As of the most recent data, approximately 28.4% of Ithaca's population lives at or below the poverty line (1 in 4 people), which is significantly higher than both the national average of 12.5% and the state average of 14.2%. Approximately 152 people in Tompkins County were identified by the 2022 Point in Time Count as currently homeless.

Ithaca's status as a college town, home to institutions like Cornell University and Ithaca College, contributes to this elevated poverty rate. The large student population skews the poverty statistics upward.