The City of Good Neighborhoods: A Housing Vision Built for Buffalo

This comprehensive, community-focused plan addresses the shortage of high-quality, affordable housing in Buffalo. By increasing the number and improving the condition of affordable housing units in the city, the plan will address the various barriers to keeping people housed in Buffalo.

In an effort to make affordable housing more readily available, as well as support homeowners and renters across Buffalo, Senator Ryan has proposed (and ultimately created) several programs that combine to address many of the underlying problems that have led to a lack of access to affordable housing in Buffalo and similar cities throughout New York.

Established Programs 

The following programs proposed by Senator Ryan have already been established in New York State.

Creating Infill Housing
The Block by Block infill housing program supports small, concentrated, new construction infill projects of one and two-family homes on vacant lots in Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Binghamton. The funding covers construction costs and subsidizes the sale of the new homes to low-to-moderate income New Yorkers to increase homeownership opportunities while revitalizing underutilized blocks. The Block by Block program was established as a pilot program with $40 million of funding in the FY 2024-2025 state budget. Senator Ryan has requested $100 million in the FY 2025-2026 budget to expand the program.

Improving Vacant Rental Units
The Vacant Rental Program offers small, local, and responsible landlords grants of $50,000 or $75,000 to renovate vacant units in exchange for a 10-year commitment to rent the units at affordable rates corresponding to each grant amount. The Vacant Rental Program was established as a pilot program with $40 million of funding in the FY 2024-2025 state budget. Senator Ryan has requested $100 million in the FY 2025-2026 budget to expand the program.

Preventing Evictions
Through the New York State Shelter Arrears Eviction Forestallment (SAEF) program a total of $10 million is being distributed to New York’s 57 counties outside of New York City and Long Island, with each county’s allocation determined by its 2023 eviction rates. The program was designed to reach families in need of temporary rental assistance who are left behind by New York’s existing Emergency Assistance to Families (EAF) and Emergency Safety Net Assistance (ESNA) programs. It was conceived based on the knowledge that it is easier, safer, cheaper, and more compassionate to keep someone housed than to try to find them alternate housing once they’ve lost their own. SAEF was established with $10 million of funding in the FY 2024-2025 state budget. Senator Ryan has requested $20 million in the FY 2025-2026 budget to expand the program.

Proposed Programs 

Senator Ryan has proposed establishing the following programs in New York State.

Insulating More Homes
Senator Ryan has introduced a bill to task utility companies statewide with enhancing insulation in thousands of houses across the state. The bill is designed to reduce New York’s carbon emissions and make energy bills more affordable for low- to moderate-income New Yorkers. This bill passed the Senate in June 2024 but has yet to pass the Assembly.

Helping Seniors Age in Place
Senator Ryan has requested $100 million in the FY 2025-2026 budget to establish Aging in Place for Upstate Seniors (A-PLUS), a grant/loan program for low-income, senior homeowners. A-PLUS was conceived as a companion program to the recently established Block by Block program that would support legacy homeowners in Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Binghamton. It would create 80%/20% or 90%/10% grant/loan opportunities of up to $150,000, allowing seniors to make necessary repairs to their properties, increase the energy efficiency of their homes, and improve their homes’ accessibility to help them age in place safely and comfortably.