Habitat for Humanity Buffalo opts for modular homes in the town of Lackawanna

Habitat for Humanity Buffalo, in collaboration with the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, the City of Lackawanna and the Lackawanna Housing Development Corporation (LHDC), has made a concerted effort to enable a certain number of Lackawanna residents to access homeownership at an affordable price. to modular construction. New modular homes are transported, then assembled along the Ridge Road/Center Street corridor – a neighborhood in Lackawanna that is currently undergoing efforts to restore vibrancy to its community. New improvements to infrastructure and recreational facilities are also being added to the mix.

Recently, two affordable modular residential homes were assembled at 112 and 114 Center Street.

“These new residential homes built by Habitat Buffalo complement my administration’s multi-million plan to redevelop the entire Ridge Road/Center Street corridor in phases over the next two years,” said Lackawanna Mayor Annette Iafallo . “This effort will include a new residential and commercial complex, a curb-to-curb reconstruction of Center Street, and a new grant-funded water park and recreation facility at the nearby Franklin Playground, all with the goal of restoring the community dynamism of this proud Lackawanna Neighborhood.

Habitat for Humanity has used modular homes for a number of reasons, including:

• Modular homes, built off-site and delivered in sections, offer a cost-effective and efficient method of building quality housing.
• The modular house method significantly reduces construction time and costs while maintaining high standards of quality and durability.
• Unlike traditional homes, modular homes are built in a controlled factory environment, which minimizes lead times and ensures consistent quality.

In the same way that Habitat for Humanity has operated for years, families looking to become homeowners must complete more than 400 hours of work before they can purchase a home. They are also required to take homeownership classes and will ultimately pay off an affordable mortgage through Habitat Buffalo’s Homeownership Program. By investing in multiple ways, homeowners not only take pride in their new home, but they also know how to maintain it in the future.

“Modular construction provides a cost-effective and efficient method for building homes, allowing us to provide quality housing to families in need more quickly and at a lower cost,” said Christopher Kennedy, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Buffalo. “This initiative demonstrates our commitment to solving the housing crisis in Erie County by intensifying our efforts to increase modular construction of affordable housing in Western New York.

The costs of modular homes are significantly subsidized to make homeownership achievable for working families.

“Affordable housing is a critical need across Erie County and my administration is investing millions of dollars to address this issue and create good, affordable housing for families across the county,” said County Executive Mark Poloncarz of Erie. “Having a safe, reliable roof over your head and quality living space are necessary conditions for success and modular housing is a great way to build these spaces quickly. These new homes on Center Street are a shining example of people working together for the good of the community and I thank Mayor Iafallo and the Lackawanna LHDC, Habitat for Humanity and our Erie County DEP team for their collaboration to make family dreams come true.

Through partnerships with Erie County and the City of Lackawanna, Habitat Buffalo can offer modular homes at lower costs, ensuring accessibility for families with limited financial resources. 

“The Lackawanna Housing Development Corporation is excited to continue our relationship with Erie County, the City of Lackawanna and Habitat Buffalo to attract more homeowners to Lackawanna and develop more affordable housing and homeownership within our community,” said Deven Blowers, executive director of the Lackawanna Housing Development Corporation. Lackawanna Housing Development Corporation. “It is imperative that our housing stock grows to support the increase in homeownership. Supporting homeownership is key to boosting generational wealth-building opportunities for working-class families. These two homes demonstrate the commitment of the county, city, Habitat Buffalo and LHDC to pursuing this goal.