Hochul and city officials break ground on Commodore Perry Homes in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul, along with city officials, broke ground Monday on the planned new Commodore Perry Homes redevelopment site in Buffalo’s First Ward neighborhood.

Once completed, the new homes will be fully electric and will provide 405 affordable homes across 27 newly constructed buildings. Residents will also benefit from high-speed internet services, green spaces and other outdoor amenities.

“Through this investment, we are transforming the Perry Homes site from a symbol of decline and decadence to one of renaissance and resurgence,” said Governor Hochul. “This community-focused development will open opportunities for residents and businesses, while increasing Buffalo’s cutting-edge affordable housing options.

Demolition of the former Perry Homes began in April, where 24 vacant structures were torn down after being closed for a decade. These demolished buildings will be replaced by the 27 new mid-rise and mixed-use buildings planned by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.

According to a press release from the governor’s office, “When completed, the new Perry Homes will include 405 high-quality apartments, all of which will be affordable to households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income.” . On the total units. , 284 will be covered by a Section 8 project-based rental assistance payment contract administered by the Office of Multifamily Housing of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This project is part of the Governor’s $25 billion comprehensive housing plan that hopes to create or preserve 100,000 affordable housing units across New York.

The Governor’s Office also noted in its release that “the $254 million in development funding includes $21.9 million in tax-exempt bonds, $115.7 million in low-income tax credits state and federal revenues and $83.1 million in UNHCR grants. Empire State Development provided $5 million. in financing Restore New York. Additional funds include: $6 million in the BMHA Capital Funds Program; $1.1 million in Buffalo Community Development Block Grants; $5 million in RAD Rehabilitation Assistance payments and $1.6 million in 45L federal tax credits.”

UNHCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “The redevelopment of the Commodore Perry Homes is a transformative project for Buffalo, providing an opportunity to inject vitality into a long-dormant public housing complex. By creating more than 400 modern, energy-efficient apartments, we are demonstrating our continued commitment to creating more affordable housing opportunities and enriching Buffalo’s neighborhoods. We thank Governor Hochul and our local partners for their focus on using all available tools to build a more affordable New York for everyone.

City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, “We have worked hard to get the development of BMHA Commodore Perry underway. This development will offer an excellent quality of life to residents of this neighborhood. I am proud of the work that BMHA and our Office of Strategic Planning have done to advance this development. My administration and our Office of Strategic Planning were successful in securing the funds needed for development. This includes $6.1 million in grants from the City of Buffalo through the ReStore NY and Community Block Grant programs; $6 million in BMHA capital funds; $5 million in RAD rehabilitation assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and $1.6 million in federal funds for energy-efficient homes. I thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her important role in all of this and her continued support of my administration’s mission to continue to strengthen the City of Buffalo.

To learn more, visit www.governor.ny.gov