Living in Dryden

Housing and immigation issues

This morning's Ithaca Journal examines the county's affordable housing problems in much greater depth than a confusing earlier article. The basic problem is simple:

The study found that the median price of a single-family home rose from $92,000 in 1998 to $140,000 in 2004, and that over the last 10 years, “home price increases have exceeded household income growth by more than 20 percent.�

It's getting harder for people to buy homes here, even though mortgage rates are low. There's a chart in the print edition that compares percentage increases in income and housing prices. It doesn't provide a clear picture of the cumulative effect, but it's clear that housing prices have outpaced income consistently since 2001, and frequently before that. (I consider myself very lucky to have bought my house in 1999.)

There will be two workshops in Dryden to discuss these issues. One will be May 9th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm, at Houtz Hall in Etna (map). Another will be on May 25th, also from 6:00pm to 7:30pm, at the Dryden Town Hall (map).

The Journal also brings immigration issues home, with an exploration of local perspectives on immigration. It visits the Space farm, in Groton just north of the Dryden line, where five legal Mexican workers help run a dairy farm.

The Journal's editorial opposes the banning of the Confederate flag at Ithaca High School.

The Life section of the paper asks people how to ensure a successful kid's birthday party, and Steve Lowes of Freeville replies:

"Spongebob, Finding Nemo... some sort of theme that kids relate to or get excited about. You've got to play on things that are marketed to them. Not all are negative if you're responsible."