Senator Sean Ryan Announces Start of Infill Housing Program for the City of Buffalo

Today, December 13, 2024, New York State Senator Sean Ryan celebrated the announcement of the Block by Block program - another part of his housing plan for Buffalo and Upstate New York. $40 million is being made available to nonprofits to develop infill projects.

$40 million was allocated to New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) in the 2024-2025 state budget. The funding will be used to construct affordable one- and two-family homes in Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Binghamton. The funding will cover construction costs and subsidize the sale of the new homes to low-to-moderate income New Yorkers across Upstate New York.

The Block by Block program will provide up to $300,000 in subsidies for a single-family home and $400,000 for a two-family home. HCR is now accepting applications to support the new construction of affordable homes in the five Upstate cities. Nonprofits may apply to redevelop between four and 10 vacant or underutilized lots and priority will be given to applications proposing to build on contiguous lots or lots located on the same block. More information on how to apply can be found here.

This is one of the four components of The City of Good Neighborhoods, Senator Ryan’s comprehensive plan to address the shortage of high-quality, affordable housing in Buffalo. In April, Senator Ryan announced that he had secured significant state funding to support the plan. The funding included $80 million to establish two new, proof-of-concept pilot programs to create infill housing and improve vacant rental units, as well as $10 million to protect families across Upstate New York from being evicted.

Senator Sean Ryan said, “Homeownership and quality housing stock are vital to the future of Upstate cities like Buffalo. The idea at the foundation of this program, that I designed and pushed in Albany, is that housing is infrastructure to grow our communities. A state investment into infill housing in existing neighborhoods is an investment into the infrastructure and tax base of our cities, and a way to build generational wealth. I am grateful to the Governor and my colleagues for including $40 million to create the Block by Block program, and I look forward to seeing new housing opportunities for families in Buffalo and across Upstate New York."

Christopher Kennedy, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Buffalo said, "The significant demand for affordable homeownership in Buffalo highlights the critical need for programs like 'Block by Block.' This $40 million in funding from New York State Homes and Community Renewal provides a tremendous opportunity for Habitat for Humanity Buffalo and our partner affiliates in Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton to work toward our shared Vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We are deeply grateful to Senator Sean Ryan for championing this transformative investment in our communities, and we look forward to building stronger neighborhoods, one block at a time."

Andrew “Druski” Scott, Scott Realty Group and Local Board President of NAREB said, “We've witnessed how in-fill initiatives such as these stimulate positive psychological, social, economic, financial, and population growth in other rustbelt cities. Buffalo deserves a chance. As a local Broker and Developer, it's refreshing to know that there's an opportunity to create synergy with our state; creating generational wealth through homeownership...not just low-to-market apartments buildings."