Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) is recommended for $199,900 (including $60,000 CDBG and $42,923 HOME CHDO set-aside) for the “Henry St. John Residential Building Renovation” project to rehabilitate and expand a historic building from 12 to 16 affordable units. The project will convert the building to all-electric, update interiors, and restore the exterior while adding high-quality affordable units in line with the City’s priority needs; some public comments expressed concern about subdividing four 3-bedroom units, indicating design details are still being discussed. The funding matrix notes INHS as the only 2026 project eligible for the mandatory 15% HOME CHDO allocation, ensuring the project will move forward but not yet indicating selection of construction contractors, design teams, or specialty trades. This creates opportunities for general contractors, MEP engineers, energy-efficiency and electrification specialists, and historic preservation consultants to support INHS in delivering a compliant, cost-effective rehab. Vendors can help INHS refine value engineering, manage Davis-Bacon compliance if applicable, and plan for phasing to minimize resident disruption.

The project intersects with community concerns about unit configuration and bedroom counts, so desig...