ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) — A documentary photographer is taking part in a months-long journey to get a look at housing insecurity across 13 states. Her second stop was in Ithaca, a city she also has a personal connection to.
Ithaca is just one stop on a long journey for photographer Karen Lippowiths. Her latest project, called “Extended Stay,” focuses on housing insecurity from New York to Mississippi. She says returning here to Ithaca is an important part of telling that story, both personally and professionally.
For some, the idea of housing insecurity is associated with larger cities. Lippowiths says it's an issue that affects all communities.
“So, I began Extended Stay which is a look at housing insecurity through the lens of low budget and long term stay hotels,” said Lippowiths, who is based out of Southeast Michigan. “About a year ago, I was working on another project in Santa Fe, New Mexico and I stayed in a Wyndham across town, away from the tourists plaza with the hope of meeting interesting people, and it really illuminated the issue of housing insecurity. I realized that the hotel was primarily filled with people who are struggling to maintain a balance between being unhoused and stability.”
Once Lippowiths returned home to Detroit, she worked on another project and then decided to look at housing from a bigger picture.
She plans to spend nine months traveling, living in low-budget motels while documenting people who rely on temporary housing.
As for her connection to Ithaca, she used to live in the city around 25 years ago. Lippowiths shared that she will meet with the Ithaca Tenants Union and hopes to speak with the Cornell Law Tenants Advocacy Group as well as some residents.
“The urban landscape in terms of the people has changed. It's a little bit more noticeable,” said Lippowiths. “It's a little bit more visible in terms of the extent of the housing insecurity issue. When I was here, I did spend most of my time up on campus, as many people do when they're at a place like Cornell Law School or Cornell University, and it's easy to overlook. I was also younger, but now that I'm here at this age and this time, I really notice it differently. And think, again, it's just a broader view of what the country is experiencing in general.”
Lippowiths will go to 30 cities before her work becomes an immersive exhibit, combining photos, history, sound and more in a motel recreation.
“I've met people who are spending $4,000 a month to stay in a hotel, just to be housed, just to have shelter. I don't know too many people who can make well above and beyond 4,000 to then save money, have transportation, have any savings, and any hope of gaining more permanent housing. So there has to be some trigger in the cycle there to help these people move forward.”
Once Lippowiths finishes her trip across Appalachia, the project will be presented at an exhibition in West Virginia, planned for October 2027.