Officials Break Ground on First of Five Affordable Single-family Homes in Cheektowaga
Erie County has Invested $20 million in Affordable Housing Since 2023
ERIE COUNTY, NY— Erie County, the Town of Cheektowaga and the Buffalo Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (“the Land Bank”) today joined elected officials and community members to break ground for the construction of the first of five new, affordable single-family homes in the Town of Cheektowaga.
Funded through the American Rescue Plan, Erie County has invested $20 million since 2023 in affordable housing, $6.5 million for multi-unit projects and $13.5 million for single-family homes.
Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz today joined Cheektowaga Supervisor Brian Nowak, Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (“BENLIC”) Executive Director Jocelyn Gordon and BENLIC Chair Scott Bylewski, Erie County Legislature Chair Timothy Meyers, Deputy Erie County Executive Lisa M. Chimera, Erie County DEP Commissioner Dan Castle and BENLIC Board Members at 257 Chapel Avenue in Cheektowaga to discuss the project.
“Today, we are breaking ground on five affordable, single-family homes in the Town of Cheektowaga – one week after breaking ground on 47 homes in the City of Buffalo. Between Erie County and our partners at BENLIC, the Town of Cheektowaga, and the City of Buffalo, there are now 52 brand new affordable homes being constructed,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Housing affordability is a crisis our entire nation is facing, and these new homes are one of the many ways Erie County is working to tackle that crisis and strengthen communities.”
Erie County Legislature Chair Timothy Meyers said, “Today is a proud moment for my district as we break ground on five new single-family homes in Cheektowaga. This project means more than just building homes, it’s about giving families the chance to build their future in a community they can call their own. I’m grateful to the County Executive, BENLIC and my colleagues in government for their tireless work in making affordable housing a reality here. It’s especially meaningful to see this initiative take shape in my district, where it will have a lasting impact on our community."
“The solution to the housing shortage does not come from any single policy or program,” said Town of Cheektowaga Supervisor Brian Nowak. “What is happening here in Cheektowaga is a small piece of the solution and I’m glad to see the pragmatic, constructive approach Erie County is taking to build affordable single-family houses for the people of Cheektowaga. This is a great partnership.”
"Cheektowaga has a long-standing and impactful partnership with the Land Bank. Since 2014, this collaboration has successfully revitalized more than 50 vacant properties, enabling the town to tackle absentee landlord problems, unite vacant side lots with adjacent homeowners, and secure responsible owners for rehabilitating vacant homes. Expanding on this revitalization, it is exciting to now introduce new home construction and affordable homeownership opportunities. Cheektowaga's commitment to working families makes it a perfect setting for these new homeowners to thrive,” added BENLIC Executive Director Jocelyn Gordon.
Thursday’s groundbreaking follows a similar event held last week in the City of Buffalo to begin construction on affordable housing units there, investments also made possible through American Rescue Plan funding. Erie County’s ARPA funds will be protected and safeguarded with a lien on the property after the closing with the new owner of each home, while the County’s subsidy amount will vary based on the new home buyer’s income and other mortgage lending factors.
For example, the purchase subsidy amount from Erie County ARPA funds will be in the amount of the difference between the construction cost of the home and the mortgage amount the new buyer can obtain. The new home buyer’s monthly mortgage and estimated utility costs will not be more than 30% of the buyer’s gross monthly income.
An example of this would be:
• Construction cost of new home: $325,000
• Mortgage amount for new buyer: $175,000
• Erie County purchase subsidy: $150,000
The purchase subsidy amount will be held on the property as a lien to protect the County’s interest in these funds going forward. The lien will be in place to ensure that if the home buyer were to sell the property, a percentage of the County’s ARPA funds would be returned to the County upon sale. The longer the new buyer remains in the home the lower the amount that they would owe Erie County when they sell the home.
The lien language safeguards these Erie County funds especially in the possible situation where a home buyer sells the home in a short period of time after becoming the owner.
BENLIC Chair Scott Bylewski said, “This is another exciting day for BENLIC and the Erie County community as we break ground on five new, affordable, single-family homes in Cheektowaga. I am very proud of the work that the BENLIC board and staff have accomplished and look forward to continuing our momentum building affordable homes well into the future.”
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