Habitat for Humanity brings new homes to Lackawanna

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The two newest homes going up, or more accurately, falling, on Center Street in Lackawanna represent more than just a place to live.

“It’s about rebuilding neighborhoods,” said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. “There were just vacant lots. Now we are rebuilding neighborhoods and creating a stronger community.”

The modular homes were built off-site and arrived in sections via crane. They will both be purchased by local families through Habitat for Humanity Buffalo’s home buying program.

“This house will be completed in about three months, and we’re hoping to have a family move in as soon as the city provides us with a certificate of occupancy,” said Christopher Kennedy, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Buffalo.

The homes are the latest in a long-standing partnership between Habitat, the City of Lackawanna, the Lackawanna Housing Development Corporation and Erie County.

“The cost of building this house, getting it up and running is thirty percent less than building it from scratch, with the beams rising like you normally see” , Poloncarz said. “This allows the county to partner and build more homes with Habitat, not just here in Lackawanna but in other parts of our community.”

The organization plans to open a local modular home factory in the coming years.

“We are partnering with some local educational institutions to become a satellite institution to teach construction and carpentry,” Kennedy said. “This will happen on the East Side of Buffalo, where we really see the need to invest in the community.”