BUFFALO N.Y. (WKBW) — Finding housing in Buffalo is not an easy journey to take. Whether you're looking to rent or own, it can be tough, but there are organizations who want to help you out.
"Everybody deserves a home, doesn't matter if you rent or buy and everybody deserves a safe home," said Kelley Swan, COO and interim CEO at Neighborworks.
Between poverty, old housing stock and weather events that cause damage, affordable housing in Buffalo is hard to come by.
It's that time of year when a lot of landlords are making repairs, which have gotten more costly in the past few years, forcing some of them to raise rents.
One landlord was able to renovate a home in East Buffalo to prep it for a woman and her children, but it came with a $26,000 price tag.
"Without home headquarters, I wouldn't have been able to do it, we have several rental properties, they've been able to help us," said Jacqueline Johnson who's owned properties in Buffalo for decades.
She used a program that gave her a $5,000 grant from the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agencey (BURA) and the rest was covered by a loan from Home Headquarters.
"We definitely have had some tears shed in this office because many people were trying to get access to finance for years and haven't been able to until we came around," said Anna Falicov, Deputy Executive Director at Home Headquarters
Looking for housing resources, here are some helpful links:
Home Headquarters
Home Repair Fund
-The Buffalo & Erie County Home Improvement Fund provides homeowners in Buffalo and throughout Erie County, New York, with a 50/50 loan/grant program for $20,000-25,000.
Landlord Property Improvement Fund
-Buffalo area Landlords, of one to four unit properties, can now access loan funds of up to $25,000 to address lead paint hazards and other health and safety needs in their rental properties.
Mortgage and closing assistance
- Up to $9,000 ($5,000 as a deferred loan/grant and $4,000 in a low-interest loan) in Closing Cost Assistance available to eligible homebuyers. The $9,000 is available to Home HeadQuarters’ mortgage customers only.
FlexFund Loan Program
-Provides homeowners throughout New York with loans of up to $20,000 for home repairs or energy efficiency-related improvements.
Heart of the City
Lead Hazard Reduction Program (Upper West Side Only)
Emergency Assistance Program (Buffalo only)
Neighborworks
Wherever you are in WNY, Neighborworks can try to help you with housing. From financial coaching to renting to homeowning, they say if they can't help you, they'll find someone who can.
HOME (Housing Oppurtunities Made Equal)
For help finding housing, call (716.854.1400) or email (info@homeny.org)
Making Moves Program (MMP) is open to families with at least one child who have a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher. Those who qualify for the program are eligible for housing search assistance as well as financial assistance for security deposits or moving expenses. Click here for more info.
PUSH Buffalo
PUSH offers a number of housing opportunities. Click here for a list of applications. Completed applications can be emailed to propertymgt@pushbuffalo.org
Erie County
- Housing Rehabilitation Program
- Rental Rehabilitation Program
- Lead Paint Remediation Grant Program
- Mobile Home Repair Program
- Housing Accessibility Program
- Utility Connection Program
- Fair Housing Program
- Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program - Homeless Prevention & Rapid Rehousing
Click here for info on each of these programs
