Major Home Construction Project Is Moving Forward In Buffalo, New York

A project that was unveiled to the people of Western New York earlier this year has been on a steady march to get underway, and now it is at a point where shovels are ready to be thrown in the ground.

In April 2024, the land bank for the Buffalo area, the Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (BENLIC), announced an ambitious plan to build around 50 homes in various neighborhoods in parts of BUffalo's east side and the town of Cheektowaga. The plan, which uses a combination of funds from the federal American Rescue Plan, the City of Buffalo, and the Town of Cheektowaga, would acquire a series of vacant properties from the two municipalities to build infill housing.

According to Buffalo Rising, BENLIC has identified 46 lots on which new houses will be built. These houses will be built all over the city, with new homes going up in the Bailey-Kensington neighborhood, Lower West Side, Black Rock, and near the Peace Bridge.

When these homes are constructed, the properties will be designed to be affordable for the average person in the Buffalo and Cheektowaga region. These properties will have income restrictions attached to those who can buy them, with income levels at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. That means a family of four could make as much as 93,600 to qualify. Like other income-based housing programs, there will be other restrictions in addition to the income levels; for example, home buyers will have to live in the properties for at least 10 years or face a penalty if they try to flip or sell them.

With the lack of new home construction in certain parts of Buffalo, this program will go a long way toward helping fill a gap that has been in the city for a long time.