Council member Everhart introduces homeownership initiative to prepare residents for infill development

Council member Everhart introduced a resolution to create a homeownership-preparation initiative aimed at helping Buffalo residents access new homeownership opportunities as infill development expands in neighborhoods including University, Massillon and Ellicott.

"Right now, the city of Buffalo is dealing with a number of infill projects happening across the city," Everhart told the Committee on Community Development on Feb. 10. She said the proposal would bring together the administration, BMHA, banks, the Buffalo Urban League and other community organizations to design a comprehensive program to prepare residents to become homeowners.

Everhart said the intent is to prevent displacement and ensure that residents in neighborhoods experiencing redevelopment can access the benefits of new housing rather than being priced out. She told the committee the group will reconvene on the item in two weeks to continue the conversation.

What happened next: Committee members acknowledged the proposal and scheduled follow-up discussion; no funding amounts, ordinance text or implementation timeline were adopted at the meeting.

Context: Speakers framed the resolution as proactive planning for local infill development. The transcript does not include specific dollar amounts or binding commitments; those details were not provided and remain to be clarified in future committee sessions.