Using a $720,000 grant,
Heart of the City Neighborhoods is in the process of completing renovations on
four houses on the West Side and plans to complete an additional 26 houses as
well.
The
grant was issued by the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation and New
York State Homes and Community Renewals. Awarded in December 2011, the grant was
put into effect this past July to restore the houses within two or three years.
A
total of 30 units in the 14201 and 14202 areas will be rehabilitated for
developmentally disabled housing, senior housing and families with children
under the age of 6. Current households must be below 80 percent of the area
medium income and be approved as a structure that has health and safety
violations.
“These demographics are the primary
focus groups, however, [Heart of the City Neighborhoods] will not turn down
applications for other households in need within the West Side area,” said Heart
of the City program director, Caitlin Godin.
According
to Eric Shiffman of Belmont Housing Resources for Western New York, measures
are taken to assess the safety and code violations prior to renovations of the
house. Belmont will also monitor the progress of the renovations and perform
final inspections to assure houses are ready for owners to move back in.
“This
is beneficial to the West Side because as these homes are being rehabilitated
for the current owners, they will also be approved as safe and healthy
households for future home owners as well,” Godin said. By Chanice Johnson
and Jennine Taberski
