Schumer; Higgins Bring HUD Secretary to Buffalo

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Congressman Brian Higgins will lead Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan on a tour of vacant housing and blighted neighborhoods in Buffalo.  Schumer and Higgins secured Secretary Donovan’s commitment to visit the city during a meeting this summer.  Schumer and Higgins will highlight problems caused by vacant and abandoned properties – an ongoing issue for Western New York that predates the foreclosure crisis – and discuss ways that the Department of Housing and Urban Development can address increasing trends in vacant properties plaguing cities across New York.

Schumer, Higgins and Donovan will visit properties on Wilson Street and the West Side, and will be joined by Mayor Byron Brown and advocates who specialize in affordable housing and community development.  This summer, while standing at a vacant home in Cheektowaga, Congressman Higgins joined Senator Schumer as he announced his legislation, the Community Regeneration Act, which would create a pilot program for 30 cities like Buffalo to address the issue of vacant properties.  Higgins has since led support for the House companion of this bill.

As part of this tour, Schumer and Higgins will recommend Buffalo as a perfect candidate for a spot in the pilot program that the Community Regeneration Act will create.  After the tour, Schumer, Higgins, and Donovan will hold a media availability.