Loans available for emergency home repairs

Heart of the City Neighborhoods Inc. is accepting applications for the Emergency Assistance Loan Program from Niagara District residents who need financial assistance for problems with their homes.

According to its website, “Homeowners can receive funding from the City of Buffalo for repair of a verified emergency condition.”

Eligible participants must have owned and occupied their home for at least one year, be current on all city and county taxes, water bills and user fees, as well as have a well maintained and structurally sound home.

Eligibility requirements based on income relative to the size of the household must be fulfilled as well.

Heart of the City Neighborhoods Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to creating programs to improve the quality of residential housing and developing sustainable projects to support the lower West Side.

            Assistance loans are interest free and the amount repaid will be based on the size of the household. By Lindsay Frazier

Nickel City homes continue weekly potlucks

          The Nickel City Housing Cooperative will continue hosting its weekly potluck dinners this summer at its two West Side Houses. 

           The cooperative's house at 208 North St., known as  Ol’ Wondermoth,  holds its dinner at 7 p.m. every Wednesday. 

            The second location, known as Plankton house, at 126 Fargo Ave.   offers its dinner at 7 p.m. every Monday.  The potluck dinners are open to the public.    

            Matt Dunning, a resident of Ol’ Wondermoth embraced the idea of the potluck and bringing the community together. 

            “We are very open and the potluck allows us to get people over that maybe have never seen the house before.” Dunning said.  

             Founded in 2001, the Nickel City Housing Cooperative looks to renovate vacant properties in Buffalo and provide low income cooperatively owned housing for anyone.

            Every member of the Nickel City Housing Cooperative is an active member of the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO), a national organization based in Chicago.

            The housesare leased to the organization through NASCO and residents are expected to help out with daily maintenance. The organization looks to eliminate prejudice and discrimination that can occur when renting property and stressed that all are welcome. 
            The residents of the houses rotate weekly whose responsibility it is to clean or cook.

            “We share meals about five times a week.” Dunning said. “It’s my responsibility to cook once every two weeks.” By Eric Bomysoad

           

           

Ryan to revisit Scajaquada plan

            Assemblyman Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, is expected to meet with the Department of Transportation this afternoon to discuss changes to the Scajaquada Expressway that he proposed last year.

In addition to the current speed reduction and the addition of jersey barriers, Ryan’s plan included introducing traffic calming features, such as traffic lights and stop signs, repainting of road lines and adding crosswalks, said Ryan’s Communication Director Cody Meyers.

            “We want to implement some features of a parkway, before having a full parkway,” Meyers said.

According to the Department of Transportations website, the project would run $91 million.

            Last April Ryan proposed a plan that would reduce speed limits on the expressway from 50 mph to 40 mph, eliminate more than 15 exit and entrance ramps, add multiple pedestrian crossings, and create a walking bridge connecting SUNY Buffalo State and Amherst Street.

Following a tragic accident on Saturday resulting in a 3-year-old's death and critical injury of a 5-year-old, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for an immediate reduction of speed limits on the Scajaquada Expressway from 50mph to 30mph and jersey barriers to be placed between the expressway and Ring Road in Delaware Park, where the fatal accident occurred. By Eric Bomysoad

 

           

           

Community Beer Works expansion on hold

          Community Beer Works, 15 Lafayette Ave., has decided against the purchase of a new 15-barrel system that would have allowed for increased production of beer.

           Head Brewer Rudy Watkins had said he and other owners would attend the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland, Ore. in mid-April in pursuit of purchasing such a system. Watkins says that while there was no immediate purchase, there is still a possibility that Community Beer Works will upgrade in the future. 

          “There’s no huge development on the bigger system,” Watkins said. “Things move slowly, as they always do, but we’re working on it.” 

          While they did not purchase a new system, the owners discovered new breweries and learned new techniques at the conference. 

          “We went around and chatted with the hundreds of vendors out on the trade show & some of their offerings will be making it into our processes,” Watkins said. “They're making insanely good and interesting beers out there.” 

          Watkins believes his brewery’s attendance at the conference will be beneficial.  

          “The sessions I attended were super informative,” Watkins said. “Every year's conference is different and has different areas of focus, but I always come back inspired to improve our day to day operations as well as grow our long-term goals.” By Ryan Beiter and Jonny Moran

Refugees help Erie County population grow

          Availability and affordability of housing on the West Side is playing a major role in the increasing refugee population in Erie County.
          Refugee Resettlement agencies such as the International Institute have created a link between available housing and the population increase of Erie County indicated in the 2014 Census. 

Iraqi refugee Nadeen is a new W.S. resident

          A report released by the United States Census Bureau in 2014 showed that the population of Erie County in April 2014 was 922,835, an increase of 952,000 from 2010. According to that same report 12,196 people from other countries moved to Erie County between 2010 and 2014, exceeding the 8,394 residents who moved away.

           Mary Sullivan, self-sufficiency coordinator at the International Institute who is responsible for refugee family budgeting and financial education, points to the fact that the West Side is full of places for refugees seeking a place to live.

           “I think a huge part of what is happening in Erie County and the West Side is attributed to housing availability,” Sullivan said. “Not only are there buildings that are vacant for refugees to come and live in but the prices on these properties are low enough for them to afford.”

           The influx of refugees into Erie County has not only given the county its first positive population increase since the 1960s but it is acting as a resuscitation device for the community itself.

           “Grant Street has come such a long way in the past few years,” Sullivan said. “They are coming into these areas that were once abandoned and giving them life again.” By Ryan Esguerra, Amber Rinard and Dallas Taylor

Businesses, residents taking aim at johns

Grant Street business owners and residents such as barbershop owner Nick LaFornara and PUSH Lead Community Organizer Brenda Miller-Herndan are looking for ways to stop prostitution solicitors. Known on the West Side as johns, those who encourage prostitution are warned by bright yellow signs placed on street poles that they are being watched. Local shop owners feel these taboo practices could negatively affect their businesses, and can only bring more criminal activity to the area. By Jessica Miranda and Ashley Stobnicki

Marchers push for marijuana legalization

Carol Panzarella, left, marched outside City Hall on April 20 with the Buffalo Marijuana Movement, which is pushing the Buffalo Common Council to consider The Buffalo Medical Marijuana Act. This bill would legalize industrial hemp, medical marijuana, and make marijuana enforcement the lowest law enforcement priority. Panzarella said marijuana is one of the only safe ways she can alleviate her rheumatoid arthritis. By Ryan Beiter and Jonny Moran