BUFFALO, N.Y. — Habitat for Humanity just finished two new homes on Rose Street and held a blessing on Thursday morning.
Low-income families will be able to buy them through the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust, which partnered with Habitat for Humanity on the project.
Buffalo Common Council president Darius Pridgen says it's a big opportunity to improve the community there.
"I just talked to a long-term resident, Liz Kennedy, who has lived on this street for many years, didn't want to move off of this street, didn't move off of this street, and is elated to have what was empty lots and at times dilapidated homes turned into affordable homes so she can have neighbors who are homeowners," he said.
Pridgen says the land trust is planning more of these projects in the near future.
"Oftentimes our funding is tied to volunteer opportunities, and when we scale back our volunteer opportunities, some people choose to scale back their funding," said Teresa Bianchi, the Habitat for Humanity Buffalo executive director, said Wednesday.
"M&T (Bank) said we want to make sure our partners are whole, and they sponsored this house regardless of how many volunteer opportunities their team had. But true to form with M&T, we've got a team out here and they're rocking it."
Small groups will keep working on the home over the next few months, and it should be done next year to give a family in need a place to live by the summer.
They're still taking applications to find families for those homes.