July 7, 2026 — The mass evictions at Asteri
Episode notes
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From the start, Asteri Ithaca was supposed to represent a bold response to Ithaca’s most pressing housing and economic problems.
One hundred eighty one new affordable apartment units. A brand new conference center. A plan to provide housing to forty formerly unhoused families. All in the heart of downtown Ithaca.
It’s been two years since Asteri Ithaca first welcomed residents. Four months since the city temporarily declared the building “unfit for human habitation.” And while the building has since re-opened, a lot has changed since then.
Now, in a major reversal, there's now over fifty eviction filings against residents.
This week on Backstory: how the Asteri dream fell apart.
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Original air date: July 7, 2026
Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.
Reported by Jimmy Jordan, Megan Zerez, Hailea Potter, Matt Butler and Fernando Figueroa.
Cover photo by Matt Butler