New Loan Programs and What They Cover

We have been awarded a $280,000 affordable housing grant from NeighborWorks America to help low- and moderate-income homeowners make needed, energy-efficient repairs to their homes. This funding will allow us to carry out some special programs, so here's a breakdown of what the new cash will support:

1. Roof Repair
The city of Buffalo offers Emergency Assistance roof repair in the form of deferred loans to homeowners who are classified as very low-income, or to elderly or disabled homeowners who are classified as low-income, according to HUD guidelines. Our program will help to fill in the gaps for some of the people who don't qualify for this city assistance. We'll offer deferred loans (that means you don't have to pay it back until you sell the house) to homeowners at 31% to 50% of Area Median Income for Erie County, and 0% interest loans to homeowners at 51% to 65% of Area Median Income. If you're above those limits, you'll still qualify for our standard-interest loan.

2. Mid-Level Repairs
We are cutting fees in half for loans between $1,000 and $5,000. In addition to the fee reduction, homeowners at less than 30% of Area Median Income can receive deferred loans for these mid-level repairs.

3. West Buffalo Green Initiative
Because of our older housing stock and high energy costs, energy efficient homes are a huge affordable housing issue in Buffalo. Through this program, we're offering 0% interest loans for energy-efficient repairs, including replacing windows and doors, for homeowners at less than 80% Area Median Income. In many cases, this will take the form of a NYSERDA grant match, with NYSERDA paying $5,000 and West Side NHS matching $5,000, leaving the homeowner with very little to pay out-of-pocket for a very smart investment in her home.

If you want more information or would like to apply, call West Side NHS Monday-Thursday at (716) 885-2344 or Black Rock-Riverside NHS Tuesday-Friday at (716) 877-3910 and ask for Julie or Michele.

First Niagara Provides $30,000 to West Side NHS to Support Homeownership

Left to right: Michele Kertzie, Dan Dintino and Zaida Maldonado of First Niagara; Linda Chiarenza, Ramon Morales and Brian White of West Side & Black Rock-Riverside NHS.First Niagara presented a check to us for $30,000 to build and support homeownership in target neighborhoods throughout the city. We'll be targeting homebuyer education and counseling programs as well as outreach for home improvement programs in these neighborhoods.

To learn more, read the press release on the West Side 2 Your Town site.

6 Tips for Homebuyers during National Homeownership Month

With interest rates near historic lows and home prices more affordable now than in the last decade, right now may be a great time to buy a home for working families who are ready for homeownership. But how do Buffalo homebuyers know whether they are prepared to realize the American dream? 

To help potential buyers determine whether they are ready for homeownership this Homeownership Month, West Side NHS offers the following tips on how homebuyers can prepare for homeownership the NeighborWorks way: 

1. Visit a homeownership advisor.  Owning a home requires a large investment of time, money and energy.  West Side NHS offers free financial and credit counseling to help potential buyers determine whether they are ready for homeownership, and help them navigate the road to homeownership with objective, unbiased guidance and recommendations.
2. Get your financial house in order.  Through counseling at West Side NHS, homebuyers can obtain their credit score and a free, soft-footprint credit report to check for inaccuracies.

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NeighborWorks Week Wrap-Up!

Through volunteers, partnerships and cash donations, we got Joe a new roof for his garage and got (most of) his house painted! You can see photos of all three weekends in our Facebook album.

Channel 4 came out and did a story on the project, too!

Concerned neighbors "adopt" man's house: wivb.com

We still need help to finish up the top parts of the house and to touch up the bottom! If you can help, call Jacob at (716) 877-3910 or email him at jverghese@wsnhs.org.

NeighborWorks Week 2011: We're adopting a home!

This year we're rehabbing a senior disabled client's house in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and other members of the West Side Housing Partnership.

Here are the days we need you:

Sunday, May 29
I want to help!

Saturday, June 4
I want to help!

Saturday, June 11
I want to help!

Joe is a 73-year-old resident of the upper West Side. He is disabled and has an extremely limited income--most months after paying his bills he lives on only $20. West Side NHS has been working to find a way to finance his much-needed home repairs, but because of roof problems with his detached garage he has not been able to obtain homeowners' insurance, which disqualifies him for the agency's loans and deferred loans.

For NeighborWorks Week 2011, West Side NHS will collaborate with Habitat for Humanity, other members of the West Side Housing Partnership, and partner agency Black Rock-Riverside Neighborhood Housing Services to begin a project to rehab Joe's house. Between May 29 and June 10 we will prep the house, and on June 11 we will hold a volunteer event to paint the house. This project will kick off a fundraising campaign to raise funds to fix the roof of Joe's garage, which should allow him to obtain homeowners' insurance--which would allow West Side NHS to qualify Joe for a deferred loan to make needed repairs to his home.

We'll be following the volunteer project with a volunteer and member celebration in the park next to West Side NHS at 359 Connecticut Street.

Because of the prep work needed, the number of volunteers we have this Sunday, May 29 will determine how big the project can be. 

So if you are able to volunteer this Sunday, please come out! You will make a huge impact on the scope of the project.