BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The cost of housing is skyrocketing on Buffalo's West Side and I'm giving a voice to two longtime residents about what they see happening to their community.
Robert Quintana is a retired police officer and former Councilman. He now works at his family business, Niagara Cafe.
“The West Side was the haven," said Quintana. "It was where it was affordable. It was doable. If you wanted to own a house, you could even own a house. Now, you can't even think of owning a house on the West Side. $15,000 homes, if you look now, are $240,000 homes. And you say, wait a second. How does that happen?”
“You're giving that corporate welfare directly to developers who are knocking on people's houses and homeowners who are desperate because either taxes have gone up because a building has gone up in the corner...They can't afford their taxes or they can't afford to fix that sewer for $5,000 or that roof for $10,000 and there are no programs to help that homeowner.”
Dalila Montanez grew up on the West Side and participates in the senior program at West Side Community Services.
“There's a lot of people suffering today because it's so expensive, it's not like it used to be like back in the day," said Montanez. "It's hard for them to be able to pay their rent and a lot of them have moved out from where they were to apartments and even the apartments that are available for low-income people, they're having a hard time dealing with the situation of rent.”
She has a message for lawmakers:
“Take in consideration for the people who need help, who are low-income people and also other people that cannot afford the rent nowadays. Find a way to communicate and be able to help them lower the rent so they can live...So we don't have to live in the streets.”
