Nadine Mora of the City's Office of Strategic Planning told the Committee on Community Development on July 29 that Buffalo currently has a very small inventory of city-owned vacant houses and described how the city partners with local land-reuse entities to rehabilitate foreclosed properties.

"Currently, in the city of Buffalo's inventory, we only have 4 vacant houses, 3 of which are currently under contract," Mora said. She noted one house recently came into the inventory after legal impediments were removed and that houses enter the city's inventory only after foreclosure action and an unsold auction outcome. Mora added, "the city hasn't held it for closure auctions since 2019," explaining why the inventory is limited.

Mora described partnerships with the Buffalo Land Bank and the Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (referred to in discussion as Benelik), and said the city holds several board seats and may transfer properties to Benelik "at below fair market value based on their statute." She said the city has seen successful rehabilitation projects and invited land-bank representatives to brief council members on completed rehabs.

The committee opened discussion on a proposed public-private partnership to rehabilitate foreclosed residential properties and then tabled the item; no program funding or formal transfer authority was adopted at the meeting. Members asked for additional briefings from partner entities and for follow-up information on inventory and transfer procedures.