State University of New York at Cortland
IN-25: Innovation B

SUNY Cortland has a Live in Cortland initiative, to encourage faculty and staff to live close to campus. This initiative includes a homeownership program, to encourage faculty and staff to reside close enough to campus to bike or walk to work encouraging wellness as well as reduction of carbon emissions from commuting. In addition, it supports the local community economically because the faculty and their families purchase goods and services in Cortland and support the tax base. The SUNY Cortland Neighborhood Homeownership Program is outlined below: As part of the Live in Cortland Initiative, SUNY Cortland presents the SUNY Cortland Neighborhood Homeownership Program. The program is designed to encourage all full time SUNY Cortland and Research Foundation employees to purchase and occupy homes in the designated neighborhoods surrounding the campus and along the I-81 entryway to campus. In these areas, SUNY Cortland has a disproportionate impact, interest and commitment to improve housing conditions and sustain quality, owner-occupied housing. This program supports SUNY Cortland’s academic mission by increasing accessibility of faculty and staff to our students. It also demonstrates the College’s commitment to the community by helping to stabilize the neighborhoods directly surrounding campus. The SUNY Cortland Neighborhood Homeownership Program provides up to five eligible employees with $4,000 to spend on the down payment or closing costs of an owner-occupied home. To receive this benefit, an employee must purchase a single-family residence within the defined neighborhoods. Since 2016, several faculty and staff have taken advantage of the program. In addition, do to this initiative more faculty and staff are choosing to live in Cortland than in the last several years even if they are not purchasing homes in the targeted neighborhoods that can apply for the $4,000 incentive.