East End Income Property Rehabilitation Program, City of Cortland

The City of Cortland, with Thoma's assistance, completed and adopted an East End Neighborhood Strategic Plan in 2011.  Significant input from the neighborhood helped to shape the contents of the Plan. One of the identified needs in the East End is the rehabilitation of owner-occupied and income property housing.  In the City of Cortland, 83% of the houses were built before 1960, with most homes over 100 years old.  The East End Neighborhood in particular, has a high concentration of aged rental housing.  Many of these income properties have deteriorated over time, resulting in poor living conditions for renters.  In response to this, the City hired Thoma Development to secure funding for an Income Property Rehabilitation Program for the neighborhood.  In 2009, Cortland was awarded $400,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for such a program.  Completed in 2011, this program was a great success and helped to renovate nine houses, including a total of 21 rental units.