More affordable housing projects are in the works for WNY

If only construction could proceed at the brisk pace it is reported to be. But even if it takes months or years for once-vacant or dilapidated properties to be transformed into move-in ready homes, each listing brings new hope: that people who need them will find housing and that once-blighted neighborhoods will find new life.

Providing immediate shelter to homeless families is important. Providing affordable apartments of varying sizes is also important. And restoring neighborhoods that have been significantly damaged by demolition, while necessary, is critical to bringing equity to Buffalo’s most neglected areas.

All of these essential elements of an equitable and restorative housing program can be found, in one way or another, in two recently announced projects and one project currently under development. Given the extreme urgency of the need for affordable housing in Western New York, these and similar initiatives should be closely monitored to ensure that they are fulfilling their missions.

Affordable apartments aren’t just needed in Buffalo. An Erie County program that awarded $5.5 million for 11 new apartment complexes will provide 703 affordable housing units throughout the region.

As The News’ Sandra Tan reported, the new projects, all with additional funding sources, will offer below-market rents to seniors, people with mental health needs and the general public. While the lion’s share of these projects are in Buffalo, the complexes in Lackawanna, Hamburg, Kenmore, Tonawanda and Cheektowaga offer substantial relief from housing shortages in those municipalities.

The Salvation Army’s long-discussed, massive-scale redevelopment of its Main Street campus is finally nearing completion. The nonprofit has all the funds it needs for its first priority, a new 80-bed emergency shelter for families, slated for completion in 2025.

Reporter Jonathan Epstein, who has been following the project for The News since 2021, writes that the next two phases — to be completed by 2027 — include a seven-story apartment building along Main Street with 147 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments; as well as 17 two-story and three-bedroom townhouses for larger families behind the Main Street buildings on North Pearl Street.

The campus will also feature a chapel, community center, gymnasium, fitness center, food pantry, kitchen, dining rooms and a music program. While a fundraising campaign is still underway and some permits and variances have yet to be obtained, Hope on Main — with all its support amenities — could be transformative for the families it will serve.

The project is still in the proposal stage, but Boston-based Beacon Communities, in partnership with True Bethel Community Development Corp., would transform 49 vacant residential lots between Broadway and William Street into 66 affordable two- and three-family rental units. Filling these “missing teeth” would go a long way toward revitalizing the neighborhood. Another benefit is the planned renovation of a beautiful historic structure: the former St. Stephen’s Evangelical Church.

Affordable housing of all types is essential. Some communities may resist it, but those that oppose density may not have considered its benefits.

In a recent op-ed in the New York Times, Bryan Caplan, an economics professor at George Mason University, discusses the burgeoning YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement. Caplan cites a basic principle of supply and demand: “Economics 101: Allowing builders to dramatically increase the supply of housing leads to much lower prices.”

Homes for sale and apartments for rent are expensive in Western New York, and high prices are linked to varying levels of shortages. Greater housing density in the region can alleviate economic hardship and encourage the creation of walkable, and therefore greener, neighborhoods.

The ultimate goal: to improve the standard of living of people who no longer need to spend the majority of their income on housing.

What’s your opinion? Send it to us at [email protected]. Letters should be 300 words or less and should express an opinion. The column does not publish poetry, community event announcements or thank-you letters. A writer or household may only be featured once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.