Buffalo ranks near the top of U.S. cities vacant houses

   Only two American cities, Detroit and New Orleans, have a higher percentage of vacant houses than Buffalo.

   Yes, we all know of at least one horror story about the city's vacant houses, but few of us are aware of the magnitude of the problem.

   Did you know, for example, that City Hall is now Buffalo's biggest landowner, and there are streets on the East Side where the city owns more than half of the properties are vacant or abandoned?

   Did you also know that a third of all city streets have at least one vacant and abandoned property?

   And did you know that new data indicates the city's vacant housing crisis is spreading to Black-Riverside and Buffalo's first-ring suburbs.

   It's a problem of immense proportions and, in the words of Kathryn Foster, director of the University at Buffalo's Regional Institute, may pose the single biggest challenge to Buffalo's neighborhoods.

   Have you, as a homeowner, renter, neighbor or investor, experienced the consequences of Buffalo's vacant housing?

   - Phil Fairbanks

Comments

[Doug]

Mayor Brown should be ashamed of himself. He does nothing and says nothing about this huge problem in his city. I guess he's just waiting it out for his next State or Federal position. Then it will be someone elses problem.

[t. s. eliot]

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang
But a whimper

[t. s. eliot]

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang
But a whimper

[Realist]

Thanks, Mr. Fairbanks, for doing this article, but no one has to tell me that MY Riverside neighborhood is declining. For the past 10 years now I have seen a steady progression of neglected properties. I have lived here all of my 56 years and when I see this once beautiful neighborhood now turned to crap with the graffitti, boarded up businesses, the filth, overgrown lawns, bushes, garbage, etc. I just want to cry! Thanks to the absentee owners that will rent to anyone, my once beautiful Riverside is now a gathering place for the east/west side violence escapees. Only thing is that they are bring their garbage lifestyles with them. Just like locusts, they ruin everything in their path. Call me racist, narrow minded, whatever, but as soon as I can retire, I am moving out of the City of Buffalo. I am selling my house - always kept up by my deceased parents - and it too will look like those on Ruhland & Harmonia Streets (part of the "white flight" east side)that the "locusts" ruined. --IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME--

[smb]

Absentee landlords (especially from out of state)should be held accountable for the lowlifes they rent to and the way they let these properties deteriorate.No one stops them and the city just looks the other way. Who the hell cares about waterfront development when everything else looks like a dump.

[Don H]

Buffalo officials have no idea how to solve this problem. The first thing they should do is assign someone to see how other older cities with similar problems are confronting them. There are probably some good ideas out there worth emulating. I know some cities are facing the fact that they will never recover maximum former population levels and are clearing decrepit residential areas and turning them into park land. This may not be the answer in Buffalo, but doing nothing is certainly not.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

I have said this before, and will say it again: Use eminent domain to raze all properties (particularly commercial properties) that have been unoccupied for two years or longer. Salvageable commercial properties can remain and be converted to residential. The vacant lots remaining should be converted to pocket parks and community gardens. Someone or some community group may even be able to manage a small farm within the urban plain--and plains we'll have when the derelict houses are all carted away. Now is the time to think well of our city and do what is right for the people.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

Two more cents to add: Highest and best use:

1.) Residential (single family, owner occupied)

2.) Recreational (parkland)

3.) Agricultural (including community gardening)

4.) Commercial (the corner pub or grocery)

5.) Industrial (a dead end issue for Buffalo)

[Jim Ostrowski]

Vacant houses is a symptom of decline. You can't reverse the decline by treating symptoms.

[Jim Ostrowski]

Vacant houses is a symptom of decline. You can't reverse the decline by treating symptoms.

[Tired of the eyesores]

I live on a street that is two blocks long. Presently there are about 12 vacant lots where beautiful houses used to be. There are also presently seven houses slated for demolition. In almost every case these homes were destroyed by carpetbagging renters who came here to take advantage of generous welfare benefits offered by NY State. Cutting welfare benefits is a start in the right direction to keep the riffraff from coming to Buffalo and NY in the first place. Also what need to be done is to hold both the absentee landlords and the vermin they rent to fiscally accountable. And if you cant afford to pay for for the damage and neglect you cause then mandatory jail sentences. I know this will never happen but until then look to things to only get worse.

[David]

There are a number of important new organizations and developments here in Buffalo - PUSH, Queen City Farm and Buffalo ReUse. Each organization seeks alternative ways of dealing with long term solutions to these deep problems and experienced daily by residents of the second poorest city in the country.

I've recently linked to maps and a full data set from HUD/Postal service study in my neighborhood blog.

Staggering, simply staggering!

[A Rodriguez]

Almost every Saturday I take mu Father to the Broadway Market. it is usually his only outing.I drive down beautiful Jefferson to William it starts to get seedy.I turn down Lombard, a war zone. Your better off counting the houses that are occupied. These areas continue to decline and become crime infested because there are no people on these streets to complain and protest.
We as the people who elected the Mayor and others to their positions need to come together and demand something be done. We can petetion, hold community protests, and even start a class action lawsuit. I for one am tired of seeing this city go to the dogs. Anyone out there willing to fight City Hall? I'm in. PUSH is great, but there is only so much that can be done.
Are we mad as h**l and won't take any more? Or are we going to not hold people accoutable?

[BuffaloBill]

I left 40 years ago, when properties were still worth something. How much has Hillary helped the area since she has been in office?

[BuffaloBill]

Buffalo was a great city at one time, then the social and wefare programs of the 60's sprang up. They increased Welfare, built low income housing projects and gave people a reason to no longer want to work.

Unfortunatly the rule is if you don't own it you will most likely destroy it. And they did.

The cities that didn't do that are now growing and building up their low income areas. Most people have pride in what they own.

[Just Wait]

Don't worry mon, wait until you see the dynamic empty suit that replaces Rich Tobe. I'm sure right now Erkel is searching high and low for a new yes man that Casey approves.

[Brian]

This is no surprise to me. Everytime I come back and visit I see the city going further down in the neighborhoods. I left 25 years ago and could see most of this coming. Didn't think it would get this bad. The mayor and the city administration think Buffalo is doing great because they fixed up the waterfront. That is just a facade so no one can see or know about the real Buffalo. The city and region is so poor it is no wonder the Bills are looking elsewhere.
Brian beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida

[p.l.edwards]

In the late 70's I purchased a home a walden ave on the east side the houses taken care of lawns taken care of. I was in NY in March of this year.We drove down walden ave and all the side streets, I could not belive my eyes, I felt so sad and I was in such disbelief at all the empty lots and run down houses, it realy broke my heart. I just can't belive that the city of buffalo has let that area get so run down. My old house is still there, not how it looked when I sold it. Broken windows, old paint, garbarge all around it vancate lots around it and boarded up homes. The City and Mayor should be so proud to show off such a beatuful part of the city. It must be how they want to represent them selfs, (which realy does reflects on them. )

[Eddie Georger]

Vacant homes and delapidated neighborhoods are not due to one single issue or one single evil: it's due to who we are and what we do to (and for) one another. One glaring example shines out from a couple of the commenters: the when-I-come-back-to-the-area people who like so many of us have chosen to leave Buffalo,and then lament the disaster the rest of us have incurred. No one mentioned the real estate "pro's" who pandered to the frightened and capitalized on the profound bigotry that we seem to be famous for; by convincing entire blocks of middle class folks to high-tail it the 'burbs where the-you-know-who don't live. That evil practice killed the heart of Buffalo, further alienated groups of residents from their potential neighbors, further defined "good neighbor" in terms of skin shade, denied children the chance to grow up in neighborhoods where diversity and good will could be partners in solving urban problems - -the list is way too long for anything short of a truckload of PhD papers. Once again, Buffalo's situation is who we are and what we are - -and have been - -about. Sorry, Tim.

[Dawn Perkins]

Unbelievable! It is with great sadness that I reviewed this information. The Mayor is an acquaintance of mine....when I heard he would be Mayor I was thrilled at the prospect. Someone young with a connection to those Buffalonians who had no voice should have been an energizing force for the community. it it obvious now that that is not the case. Shame on the political machine in Buffalo!!!

[Realist]

Eddie there are alot of responsible homeOWNERS of whatever color, but mostly what I see here in Riverside are minority renters. I have walked down Esser Ave & have shook my head in disgust at the "locust" pigs who live in these singles & doubles and remember what these homes looked like a long time ago. Nobody cares anymore. Nobody cares. I'm waiting for the first time somebody tries to invade my home because they think I have something of value to sell for their freaking drug habit. They bring down property values just by living here. People want to sell just to get out and away from them. I'm starting to see alot of For Sale signs going up and I don't blame them. Oh, and by the way, I was listening to a radio program Saturday morning and the realtor was stating what a great housing market & school system we have in WNY. Uh huh. Williamsville & East Amherst & Clarence, maybe, but she never mentioned the city of Buffalo. I just laughed.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

Thank you, Eddie Georger, you hit the nail on the head. It was block busters who convinced people to flee who actually ruined the city. If most residents had stayed, we could have been a model city for racial equality, with all neighborhoods well integrated by those who qualify for home ownership or rentals. Instead, the frightened fools left their properties, selling them for less than they were worth so they could get away fast. Aren't people just sick? We will never be a "City of Good Neighbors" if we cannot live beside each other. And I don't mean we have to put up with illegal activity, as on my street, we homeowners are ruthless in weeding out undesirables of every stripe, color, and salable illegal merchandise, to include prostitution, dog fights,gambling, and drugs.

No neighborhood should be killed by illegal activity. Call the police!

[J.Tomczak]

This is so sad. Yet, the bank will not allow me to purchase one of these houses and fix it up because my credit is poor.
I think the city should offer these houses to people who will refurbish them and help the neighborhood.

[Al]

The reasons for this are known and too numerous to mention. The concern is that the people in charge have no more idea of how to lead than those in charge over the last 30 years. I do not own property in WNY and especially not in Buffalo. There is no reason to go where capital is treated poorly.

[Matt]

It's druggies and the crime that shadows them that bring down property values, not minorities. The majority of druggies in Buffalo are black or hispanic because the majority of people are black or hispanic.

Talking about integration, or lack of it, is just a red herring. The real issue is the issue that has killed Buffalo: Too many druggies and welfare-suckers, not enough well-paying jobs. People who put in a solid 40 hrs. a week and are adequately compensated for it tend to take better care of their neighborhoods than people who sit around all day either figuring out how to milk the system more or plotting their next deal. That's just common sense -- it doesn't take a whole bunch of studies to figure out.It is as much, or more, about personal pride than it is economic status -- but people with a healthy sense of pride in self tend to do better financially. So maybe the REAL real issue is, Buffalo needs to get over the city-wide depression it has been in for many years --emotional depression as well as economic.

And it should be a given that deadbeat property owners are harrassed in every reasonable manner. The occupied properties should have a close eye kept on them by landlords. Fixing the problem of blight will take a community-wide, grassroots effort, and whether they like it or not the property owners are going to be at the center of it. It'll be up to them whether they want to be the center of the effort, or the center of criticism.