Required Responsibility For Abandoned Homes

Buffalo, New York, is proposing a way to require banks to take responsibility for abandoned homes and partial foreclosures. Many are hoping that this requirement would help to keep up neighborhoods that would otherwise decline as homes are abandoned.

1 minute read

March 23, 2007, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"Through a Housing Court ruling last week and proposed city legislation, Buffalo is demanding that banks start taking responsibility for maintaining homes that are left vacant and derelict when lenders initiate foreclosure but don't follow through to the end."

"The effort is being applauded by housing and neighborhood advocates, who otherwise watch helplessly as neighborhoods decline, inspectors write up housing code violations in vain, and homes are demolished or ignored."

"'It is setting a precedent, especially in New York State,' said Michele Johnson, an East Side housing activist and Housing Court liaison. 'Banks have been notorious in walking away from these properties. It will make them less likely to let the property sit and rot knowing that we're going to go after them.'"

"There are an estimated 39,000 vacant homes throughout the region, with nearly half considered to be abandoned; about 20,000 of them are in Buffalo, which has a 17 percent vacancy rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau."

Thursday, March 22, 2007 in The Buffalo News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

The Seat of Government

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership

Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

February 3, 2025 - Todd Litman

Close-up of Donald Shoup during interview.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86

Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

February 10, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Amtrak train with downtown Seattle in background.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record

The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

February 2, 2025 - Daily Hive

Vacant interior of open plan office with large buildings and stacked wood planks on floor.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025

Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

4 hours ago - RentCafé

Crane and construction on multi-story buildings in downtown Houston, Texas.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform

The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

5 hours ago - Urban Edge

Small rural USPS post office in manufactured one-story grey building with American flag in front.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes

Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

6 hours ago - Cowboy State Daily