Buffalo Landlords Can Apply for Grants to Renovate Vacant Rentals

Written By Criterion Buffalo

New York State Senator Sean Ryan announced that Buffalo landlords can now apply for grants to renovate vacant rental units through the Vacant Rental Program (VRP). This initiative aims to increase the availability of high-quality, affordable housing in Upstate New York.

The VRP offers grants of $50,000 or $75,000 per unit to small, local, and responsible landlords who commit to renting the units at affordable rates for 10 years. Senator Ryan secured $40 million in state funding, with over $10.6 million allocated to Western New York as part of his larger plan, The City of Good Neighborhoods, to address the housing shortage.

How to Apply

Landlords can apply through local organizations administering VRP funds. The first two organizations accepting applications for Buffalo’s East Side are:

  • Broadway Fillmore Neighborhood Housing Services ($2.5M) – Apply Online

  • East Buffalo Development Corporation ($1.35M) – Apply by Feb. 28

Additional grants will be available soon for landlords in Erie and Niagara Counties through:

  • Belmont Housing Resources for WNY ($2.5M)

  • City of Buffalo ($2.5M)

  • Preservation Buffalo Niagara ($1.8M)

Information Sessions

  • For Landlords – Learn about the program and get help with applications.

  • Feb. 15, 1-3 PM

  • Delavan-Grider Community Center (877 E. Delavan Ave., Buffalo, NY)

  • For Contractors – Join the approved vendor list for VRP projects.

  • Feb. 12, 5 PM

  • Belmont Housing Resources (2393 Main St., Buffalo, NY)

  • RSVP by Feb. 11 to Keith Braun (kbraun@belmonthousingwny.org) or Eric Schiffman (eschiffman@belmonthousingwny.org).

For more details, visit hcr.ny.gov/vrp.

Criterion Buffalo
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