The City of Good Neighborhoods: A Housing Vision Built for Buffalo

Sean M. Ryan

February 20, 2024

The City of Good Neighborhoods

This comprehensive, community-focused plan addresses the shortage of high-quality, affordable housing in Buffalo. By increasing the number and improving the condition of affordable housing units in the city, the plan will address the various barriers to keeping people housed in Buffalo.

In an effort to make affordable housing more readily available to homebuyers and renters across Buffalo, the plan features four components that combine to address many of the underlying problems that have led to a lack of access to affordable housing in Buffalo and similar cities throughout New York.

The City of Good Neighborhoods A Housing Vision Built for Buffalo Why We Need a Buffalo Specific Housing Plan: ● Buffalo’s housing needs are different than New York City’s, and the State has recognized the need for regional economic plans, housing should be treated similarly. ● To help Buffalo achieve long term financial stability, additional housing to address our current shortage cannot include tax incentives that eat away at our already struggling tax base. ● The housing market has shown us that it will not produce infill housing on most of Buffalo’s vacant residential lots. The State’s investment is needed to build housing that creates density through infill of singles and doubles that generate tax revenue for the City/County and build generational wealth for low income and minority households across the City. Incentivizing Construction of Affordable New Builds A program to build 2,000 affordable singles and doubles on city-owned vacant lots in Buffalo. Improving Rental Housing Stock A grant program to help small landlords make major improvements to up to 4,000 vacant rental units in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse. Insulating More Homes A plan to improve insulation in older homes across New York State. Increasing Access To Eviction Prevention Funds A plan to remove unnecessary State barriers that keep renters from accessing eviction prevention funds.

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