Looking for information on housing and home repairs? Join the West Side Housing Partnership for its annual Housing Fair this Saturday, April 28.
The event starts at 10:00am at the Loretto Ministry Center, 301 14th Street, Buffalo, 14213. This event is free and open to the public.
Find more information about speaker and workshops here.
Organizers of the Fair were also guests on PPG’s radio show, the Public Good. Listen here to the show.
PPG Co-Director Sam Magavern and a team of 15 UB Law students will present an overview of poverty and poverty-fighting efforts in Buffalo along with 15 policy recommendations, covering topics such as public schools, county welfare programs, the NFTA, refugees, and tax foreclosures. The forum will be held Friday, May 4, from 10am to noon at 237 Main St., Suite 1200.
Free and open to the public. To reserve a seat, contact Megan Connelly, megan@ppgbuffalo.org, 852-4191, ext. 110.
You can find PPG’s summary of Buffalo poverty data here.
The biggest problem facing Buffalo’s public schools is the fact that most of the students live in poverty and segregation. Red PPG’s latest policy brief, “Concentrated Poverty and Education,” for an examination of the correlation between poverty and educational challenges and what it means for public policy.
This past October, PPG partner the Western New York Law Center filed a lawsuit over the City of Buffalo’s tax foreclosure policy. At issue was the City’s practice of foreclosing on properties, and tacking on the $445 foreclosure fee, on homeowners who may be delinquent only on garbage user fees. A recent report by PPG showed that the City was casting too wide a net, with 928 properties that owed only garbage fees of $300 or less and 41 properties that owed only sewer liens less than $50.
Today, the lawsuit reached a settlement which includes dramatic changes to the City’s foreclosure fees and process. Read the full settlement here and the Buffalo News coverage here.
Of particular note, the City agreed to limit foreclosure to debts in excess of $200. The settlement also calls for a reduced foreclosure fee and implemented a graduated fee schedule that caps at $305.
Our sincere thanks and congratulations go out to the Western New York Law Center and Supervising Attorney Lauren Breen for this important community win!
You can find further information on tax foreclosures here.
Getting There from Here: Sustainable Funding for Public Transit in Buffalo Niagara
A Partnership for the Public Good Forum
Friday, March 9
12:30-2:00pm
237 Main Street, Suite 1200
Buffalo, 14203
New York State has been cutting its funding to the NFTA, even as the NFTA’s costs and ridership have been rising. What can be done to ensure adequate and sustainable funding for affordable and comprehensive public transit? What is being done at the local, state and federal levels? How do we get community voices heard in decision making and planning?
Join us for roundtable discussion moderated by Creighton Randall, Buffalo CarShare executive director.
Panelists:
Co-sponsored by Buffalo CarShare and Citizens for Regional Transit
Free and open to the public. Dessert and drinks will be provided.
To reserve a seat or for more information, contact Megan Connelly at megan@ppgbuffalo.org or (716) 852-4191×110.