New housing opportunies come to city

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - It's a project long in the making for a former vacant and polluted lot in Buffalo's Delavan-Grider neighborhood that will soon be converted into safe and affordable housing.

The site was once considered unlivable, yet children with nowhere else to go used it as a makeshift playground.

858 East Ferry Street was a vacant Brownfield site that needed to be cleaned up. With the help of Mayor Byron Brown and State Assemblywoman Crystal People-Stokes, they were able to get more than $8 million for clean up.

"Certainly makes me feel good to see all of the investments made over the years now really starting to take hold in a major way with investments like this," said Mayor Brown.

Now with this groundbreaking, the lot is the future home of the True Bethel Townhomes Development. It will feature 30 residential rental units in four multi-family buildings and will include a community building.

Moreover, it will provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for families who need it.

Residents will be those in the Delavan-Grider neighborhood whose household income is less than 60% of the area meridian income.

Six units will be reserved for people with physical, hearing, or vision challenges, and all will be handicap adaptable.

Belmont Housing and True Community Development Corp. are the developers. The project will cost $7 million above the $8 million cleanup cost.