Village Grove Apartments

Organization Name: Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services & HOLT Architects

Project Title: Village Grove Apartments

Project Location: 15 Crescent Way, Trumansburg, New York 14886

Project Description:
Village Grove, the affordable rental housing component of the Crescent Way subdivision, has set a new standard for sustainable and inclusive living as one of the first affordable housing communities in New York State to achieve both Passive House and NetZero certifications while utilizing ground-source geothermal heat pumps and off-site community solar to minimize its environmental footprint. This new mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood includes: • 46 affordable rental apartments with a community lounge, laundry facilities, community playground, and dedicated management, maintenance, and service provider offices: 40 units in a 2-story elevator building and six units in two townhome buildings • Trumansburg Community Nursery School (Architect Claudia Brenner Design) • Crescent Way, a new public road that connects Village Grove to the community • 10 affordable for-sale townhomes • and nine market rate parcels This new neighborhood was carefully knitted into the Trumansburg community and turned a large vacant parcel of land into an extension of the residential neighborhood fabric. The site is walkable to downtown Trumansburg as well as Trumansburg Schools.

Community Impact:
HOLT and INHS have a long record of collaboration and engaging the community in the design process. Through a series of public meetings, the community helped shape this project and learned how it responds directly to rising regional housing costs affecting households across income levels. All apartments are affordable to residents earning between 30% and 90% of the area's median income. INHS also partnered with the Salvation Army to provide support for seven units reserved for community members exiting homelessness, ensuring those most in need have a safe, stable home.

The new facility for the Trumansburg Community Nursery School, identified as a critical community need, allowed the school to nearly double enrollment, extend hours for working families, and expand programming, with affordable tuition supported by a below-market lease from INHS.

The 10 for-sale townhomes, part of INHS’s Community Housing Trust, use a shared-equity model that keeps homes permanently affordable.

The site’s remaining lots will feature new market-rate homes developed by Claudia Brenner Design, enriching the neighborhood’s diversity and growth.

Organization Description:
Founded in 1976, INHS is a nonprofit community development corporation affiliated with NeighborWorks® America. Its mission is to expand housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents, fostering communities that embrace diversity, equity, and sustainability. HOLT Architects, founded in 1963, is an award-winning firm specializing in affordable multi-family housing. Their mission is to create enduring, sustainably designed built environments that enhance the quality of life for occupants.

Team Members:

Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services
HOLT Architects
TG Miller Engineers & Surveyors
Fisher Associates
Claudia Brenner Design (Nursery School)
Taitem Engineering
Sustainable Comfort