BURA getting the word out about the dangers of lead in your home!

BUFFALO, N.Y. (BURA)- Team BURA was out in the community this week educating residents about the hazards of lead, during the weekly city of Buffalo Clean Sweep event.

If you live in the Schiller Park area or the Upper West Side area there could be a high risk of lead in your home!

The city of Buffalo offers a Lead Hazard Reduction Program.

To qualify for the program, you must have a home built before 1978, meet income-eligibility guidelines, and have children 6 years old or younger either living or visiting the home.

Call 311 for more information! Click here to see more photos

Learn more about protecting your home from LEAD! 

City interns making a difference in the community!

BUFFALO, N.Y. (BURA) – Interns have been making their mark here at City Hall this summer.

The mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning’s Division of Development welcomed intern Daniel Myers.

Myers is currently pursuing his master’s degree in real estate development at the University at Buffalo. He is working towards a career in project management and development.

The Mayor’s Summer Youth Program welcomed intern Antwaun Holmes this summer. He is a recent graduate of East Community High School and is planning to join the AmeriCorps Vista Program.

Both interns joined Mayor Byron Brown’s Clean Sweep in the University District in early August. They talked with residents and assisted with passing out information about new economic development programs and initiatives. Click here to see more photos

Local teens are making a difference in the community through a partnership with City of Buffalo and Y.A.L.E. Academy

BUFFALO, N.Y. (BURA) – The city of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency Office of Crime Prevention, and the Office of the Mayor Division of Citizen Services, teamed-up with the Youth Acquiring Leadership and Excellence Academy (Y.A.L.E. Academy) this summer to help local teens gain community service experience.

Throughout the summer, students participating in the academy learned soft skills for job readiness and leadership. They also took part in the City of Buffalo Clean Sweep events. They helped city officials and volunteers pick up trash and clean up neighborhoods throughout the city.

The students graduated from Y.A.L.E Academy this week. St. Brian Clothiers donated suits for the graduation. Congratulations to all the graduates and best of luck in your future endeavors! Click here to see more photos

Local family gives thanks to Habitat Buffalo, the city of Buffalo, and neighbors during dedication ceremony

BURA assists with funding for Eight Days of Hope Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (BURA) – Dozens of volunteers from Western New York, and across the nation, all pitched-in to help paint and repair homes in Buffalo’s Fillmore District last month.

BURA is helping to make sure this work continues in our community! The BURA Board voted today to facilitate the disbursement of $750,000 in funds to the program. These funds will help Eight Days of Hope fix more homes throughout the city in the years to come.

Along with fixing up homes in the Fillmore District, Eight Days of Hope Buffalo is making repairs to Lincoln Park located on between Amity Street and Peck Street in the Fillmore District.

Adams Street Infill Housing Initiative Announcement at City Hall

Today we’re celebrating the city’s continued progress with the transformation of city-owned lots into usable spaces for community benefit.

The Adams Street Infill Housing Initiative uses 24 city-owned lots, to create 12 parcels, where up to 10 homes will be built on Adams Street. The city’s Office of Strategic Planning, the City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) lead by Mayor Byron W. Brown as chairman, Evans Bank, Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation and MMB Realty are all collaborating to bring this initiative to fruition. 

Need your house fixed?

You may qualify for a ZERO to LOW-interest loan for housing repairs through the Rental and Owner Housing Rehab Program!

CALL 311 for more information. Call us! Let us know what your situation is and we will help you! 

You can also use the LOOK-UP TOOL to connect you with one of our community partners.

Help BURA with Affordable Housing Projects!

BURA is currently looking for organizations to submit proposals through the federal HOME Investment Partnership Act to help with the development of affordable housing projects in the City of Buffalo.

Help with application intakes!

BURA is also looking for partner organizations to help with application intake for the housing repair programs and the down payment closing cost assistance programs.

For more information visit BURA's RFP Page or the city of Buffalo RFP page.

Landlords who GET payments from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) CANNOT raise rents for 12 months

BUFFALO, N.Y. (BURA) – The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency plays a key role in helping residents who are facing eviction and that is why BURA is reminding homeowners to pay close attention to warnings from the New York State Attorney General.

The state AG’s office released a statement this week reminding homeowners, that they are not allowed to raise rents for 12 months if they are collecting funds from the Pandemic Rental Assistance Program. The state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a pandemic-related rent relief program that helps low to moderate income tenants pay their rent.

“The rules are clear: Landlords who accept ERAP payments cannot raise rents for 12 months,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “This program was created to support struggling tenants and keep New Yorkers in their homes during the pandemic. Landlords who accepted payments from the state yet are still raising rents are double dipping and breaking the law. I urge any tenant who accepted ERAP payments and received a new lease with rent increases from their landlord to contact my office.”

If you are an ERAP recipient and have been notified of a rent increase here are a few tips from the AG’s office:

• Leases that have a rent increase and are within the 12-month ERAP payment period, need to be returned to the landlord for adjustment.
• Check your rental statements for increases or late fees on months covered by the ERAP payment

For more information visit:  https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-reminds-landlords-not-raise-rents-if-they-accept-pandemic   https://tenanthelpny.org/

Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency 

920 City Hall

Buffalo, NY 14202

716-851-BURA

716-851-GROW

www.buffalourbanrenewal.com

Bura’s Mission: "The City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency, strives to promote the expeditious undertaking, financing and completion of community development programs and create quality and vibrant urban living in Buffalo New York through neighborhood driven development projects. BURA achieves community development through expenditures development of and rehab of existing houses and or apartments and offering technical and financial assistance to businesses and provides technical assistance and compliance to the City of Buffalo."