Housing

The Housing Division will implement the Mayor's Livable Communities in Buffalo Initiative. The lead agency in this effort will be the Buffalo Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation (BNRC). The Housing Division will manage programs and projects that are based on increasing homeownership in the City of Buffalo. The Housing Division will be staffed with program/project managers that have a proven track record of taking projects from the conceptual phase through the pre-development phase to the construction phase and project close-out.

The Housing Division will also be responsible for managing the proposed "Making Houses Homes" component of the Livable Communities in Buffalo Initiative, which was developed from work done by the Mayor's Housing Task Force, created to develop a housing policy for the City of Buffalo. The Housing Division will also be responsible for managing HOME, HOPWA and ESG funded projects and will coordinate with the Administration Division to ensure proper record keeping.

The Making Houses Homes program is a multi-faceted housing program that includes the construction of a variety of new housing for low–moderate households, market rate households, low-interest loans and grants to current homeowners for the rehabilitation of their property as well as downpayment and closing cost assistance to qualified first-time home buyers.Making Houses Homes" is the housing component of the "Mayor's Livable Communities Initiative", which is a new program developed and administered by the Office of Strategic Planning.

In addition, Making Houses Homes will ensure that targeted communities receive streetscape improvements such as sidewalks, street paving, trees, lighting (vehicular and pedestrian) to enhance their livability.Commercial areas within or adjacent to these targeted neighborhoods will receive simular assistance through the commercial area revitalization effort. The Office of Strategic Planning has partnered with several counseling agencies to provide home-ownership training.The training includes credit analysis and repairing tips, home-buyer terminologies, loan application assistance, and other topics needed to prepare for the participant for their first home buying experience.  For more information, click here.

Programs for owner occupants include the Target Street Rehab Initiative, the Fifty-Fifty Program, and the Emergency Assistance Program.Funds are available as full conditional grants, partial conditional grants and no interest loans, based on the household income of the applicant.

Funds to improve rental housing are available to for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, and investor owners to ensure that decent, safe and affordable housing is available for tenants.Loan terms are structured to each project.
The American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) will enable many first-time homebuyers earning less than 80 percent of their community's median income to purchase their first home.This program provides funding up to a maximum of $5,000 to assist with down payment and closing cost expenses associated with the purchase.

• Empire Zones Program -Your home could qualify as property tax-free if it is located in the Home Ownership Zone of the City of Buffalo's Empire Zone. The Home Ownership Zone is a specially designated area of the Empire Zone that offers an exemption on the increased assessment of new homes BUILT. If your new home is located in the Home Ownership Zone, or if you are interested in purchasing a new home in the Home Ownership Zone, please contact Lorrie Abounader, Empire Zone Coordinator at (716) 851-5035 or the Department of Assessment at (716) 851-5747.
  
• Renewal Communities Program
  • The Renewal Community (RC) program is a federal initiative designed to stimulate economic development in neighborhoods qualified by HUD (Housing and Urban Development).
  • Businesses located in eligible areas may receive special Federal tax credits and deductions. If you live and work in the RC, your employer could qualify for a Federal Renewal Community Employment Credit.
  • You may be a Renewal Community resident as this designation covers a significant portion of the City of Buffalo. To find out if you live and work in the RC, call (716) 851-5035.