POLICY BRIEF June 2, 2017 Why Buffalo Needs Inclusionary Zoning: Affordability, Job Access, Inclusion, and Quality Housing Summary Buffalo’s housing market faces four severe challenges: affordability, job access, inclusiveness, and quality. Inclusionary zoning is a proven tool for addressing all four issues. Inclusionary zoning asks that when a developer creates new housing units, it reserve a certain percent for affordable housing. Thus, inclusionary zoning leverages the power of the market to create more high-quality affordable housing units, often near job centers and transit lines, and to make neighborhoods more inclusive and less segregated. In 2014, recognizing the need for more affordable housing, the City of Buffalo committed to “lobby for regional acceptance of inclusionary zoning provisions.”1 In 2016, hundreds of Buffalo residents submitted comments supporting the adoption of inclusionary zoning as part of the City’s new Green Code. In passing the Green Code, Common Council members promised to promptly take up and pass inclusionary zoning legislation. This brief presents data demonstrating Buffalo’s need for such legislation. Affordability • More than half of Buffalo households (55%) cannot afford their rent – according to the federal definition by which affordability means paying less than 30% of income toward rent.2 • Buffalo’s already extreme poverty is getting worse, not better, despite the spate of recent economic development projects. The child poverty rate inside the city rose from 37.5% in 2005 to 54% in 2015.3 Buffalo is the third poorest city in the country, behind only Detroit and Cleveland. • Unfortunately, even as poverty has risen, so have rents. According to Rent Jungle, which claims to capture roughly 80% of on-line rental listings in the city, whereas in 2011 the average rent advertised for a two-bedroom apartment in the city ranged between $678 (March) and $940 (November), in 2017 the average rent for a two-bedroom has ranged between $1,226 (January) and $1,355 (April).4 According to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, fair market rents for a two bedroom apartment in the Buffalo-Niagara metropolitan region have risen from $704 in 2008 to $810 in 2017.5 1 • By the time of the 2010 Census, 23% of the city’s households had severe housing cost burdens, paying more than 50% of their income on housing (Appendices 1-2). Among black households, over 30% faced severe burdens; among Hispanic households, over 37% did.6 • Among metro areas nationwide, Buffalo experienced the seventh largest increase in rental affordability burden between 2015 and 2016.7 • When people can’t afford their rent, many bad things happen. They have to skimp on necessities such as food and medical care. They get evicted or are otherwise forced to move, causing trauma and disruption. All too often, they become homeless. 5,455 people in Erie County experienced homelessness in 2015. In 2016, that number rose to roughly 6,000.8 Homeless individuals most frequently originate from zip codes 14215 and 14211 (Appendix 3). • Most of the new housing being created, even when it receives government subsidies and tax incentives, is not affordable (Appendices 4-6). For example, the Phoenix Brewery development near the Medical Campus includes city property tax reductions, $316,000 in tax breaks from the Erie County Industrial Development Authority, and $1.74 million in historic tax credits. The 30 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments will have an average rent of $1,500 per month.9 • Section 8 provides vouchers for low-income families to subsidize housing costs, but the demand far exceeds the supply. Both Section 8 providers closed their waitlists years ago, and their waitlists remain exceedingly long; there are nearly 4000 families on Rental Assistance Corporation’s list.10 While Section 8 vouchers were designed, in part, to combat segregation, voucher use is concentrated in certain pockets of the city (Appendix 7). Job Access • Unemployment in Buffalo remains stubbornly high, particularly for people of color. The unemployment rate for African Americans in the city in recent years has averaged over 19%, and for Hispanic workers it has been 17%.11 • Even those who work have trouble getting jobs that pay decent wages. The median earnings of the 108,412 employed people in Buffalo are only $27,437.12 • Many workers lack cars and cannot reach quality jobs through public transit or by walking or biking (Appendix 8). Over 29% of the city’s households have no vehicle available.13 In Buffalo-Niagara, there are 56,732 households without a vehicle. Workers in those households can reach only 42% of the region’s jobs within 90 minutes by public transit. Even within the city, where access to transit is better than in the suburbs, workers can reach only 53% of jobs by public transit.14 2 • Thus, there is a need to house more workers in parts of the city that are experiencing economic growth, and/or locations along good public transit lines. These are the parts of the city where new, market-rate housing is being created: downtown, near the Medical Campus, in the Elmwood Village, along Niagara Street, near Main St., etc. (Appendices 4-6). Inclusion • Buffalo-Niagara is the sixth most segregated metropolitan region in the nation. In the region, 64% of people of color live in concentrated poverty, compared to 14% of whites.15 • The Buffalo-Niagara metro area ranked in the top ten for increase in income segregation in the last decade,16 and in 2014 was ranked 7th most segregated by income (Appendix 9).17 • Even within city limits, segregation by race and income remains strong, with roughly 85% of African-Americans living east of Main Street (Appendices 10 and 11).18 Quality Housing • Buffalo has the oldest housing stock of any major city, with 67.3% of units built in 1939 or earlier.19 • Poor housing conditions such as dampness, dust, draftiness, and pest infestation exacerbate asthma, which disproportionately affects people of color in high poverty neighborhoods.20 • Old, badly-maintained housing stock contributes to the fact that Buffalo has one of the highest levels of lead poisoning in the nation – substantially worse than that of Flint, Michigan.21 • According to Census data, over 41% of Buffalo households experience a housing problem, such as unaffordability, overcrowding, or substandard housing, and over 25% experience a severe housing problem. Over half of people of color experience a housing problem (Appendix 12).22 3 Appendix 1 Severe Housing Cost Burdens by Race A severe cost burden is defined as paying more half of a household’s income on housing costs. Households of color in particular often face severe housing cost burdens. 42% of Native American households, 37% of Hispanic households, 30% of black households, and 29% of Asian or Pacific Island households pay more than half their income on housing every month. Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Table 10 – Demographics of Households with Severe Housing Cost Burden (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 4 Appendix 2 Cost Burden for Renters Of renters with an income less than $35,000, most live in unaffordable housing. That is, they are paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Furthermore, almost 90% of renters with an income less than $20,000 face a housing cost burden. Renter Household Income / % of Income as Rent in Buffalo, NY Estimate Percent Total Renter-occupied housing units 65,108 Less than $20,000: 27,695 42.54% 20 to 29% of income 2,240 8.09% ≥30% of income 24,716 89.24% $20,000 to $34,999: 12,969 19.92% 20 to 29% of income 4,528 34.91% ≥30% of income 7,110 54.82% $35,000 to $49,999: 7,324 11.25% 20 to 29% of income 3,777 51.57% ≥30% of income 1,428 19.50% $50,000 to $74,999: 7,607 11.68% 20 to 29% of income 1,260 16.56% ≥30% of income 365 4.80% $75,000 or more: 5,708 8.77% 20 to 29% pf income 304 5.33% ≥30% of income 0 0.00% Adapted from: “Annual Report on the State of Homelessness in Western New York,” (policy report, Homeless Alliance of Western New York, 2015), 19. 5 Appendix 3 Origin of Homelessness in the City of Buffalo In 2016, the top 4 zip codes that people experiencing homelessness originated from are the following: 14215, 14211, 14213, and 14212. In other words, homelessness is most common on the east and west sides of the city—mirroring the patterns of income inequality, job inaccessibility, and housing problems. Source: Christine Slocum, Homeless Management Information System, (2016), distributed by Homeless Alliance of Western New York, https://wnyhomeless.org/hmis/about-hmis/. 6 Appendix 4 Selected New Residential Projects Completed Within the Last Two Years (2015-2017)23 Project Name #New Starting 2- Cost Developer Units Bedroom Rent The Sinclair 45 $2050 24 $16,000,000 Ciminelli Real Estate 465 Washington The Fairmont 30 $1795 25 $14,700,000 Ellicott Development 199 Scott Seneca Street 48 $1050 26 $7,300,000 Savarino and Frontier Group Lofts 550 Seneca Bosche Lofts 23 $1425 27 $6,400,000 Greenleaf Development 918 Main Hydraulics Lofts 110 $1075 28 $38,000,000 Savarino and Frontier Group 500 Seneca Buffalo River 78 $2100 29 $18,500,000 Savarino and Frontier Group Landing 441 Ohio Turner Brothers 40 $1425 30 $10,500,000 Schneider Development Lofts 295 Niagara ARCO Lofts31 38 $1375 32 $12,400,000 Signature Development 1807 Elmwood Phoenix Brewery 30 $1600 33 $6,600,000 Sinatra and Company Real Estate Apartments 825 Washington Crescendo34 41 $1490 35 $6,000,000 Natale Development Company 1502 Niagara Street 7 301 Ohio Street36 21 $2195 37 $4,500,000 Ellicott Development Stratham Manor38 12 N/A $1,100,000 Don Gilbert 481 Franklin Street 1285 Main 19 $179040 $2,100,000 Ellicott Development Street39 TOTAL 535 AVG: $144, 100,000 $1614 8 Appendix 5 Selected Residential Developments Currently Under Construction Project Name Number of New Units Cost Developer Mentholatum41 51 $19,000,000 Ciminelli Real Estate 1360 Niagara Street Alexandre Apartments42 12 $4,000,000 Amy Judd 510 Washington Street 722 West Delavan43 27 $5,500,000 Ellicott Development 270 Michigan 6 $5,000,000 Ellicott Development Avenue44 Midtown Apartments45 55 $8,000,000 Sinatra and Company 1661 Main Street Real Estate 1050 Niagara Street46 8 $9,360,000 Ellicott Development 500 Pearl Street47 28 $75,000,000 Ellicott Development 192 Seneca Street48 4 $4,400,000 Ellicott Development Canterbury Woods49 53 $41,000,000 TM Montante 3 Gates Circle 905 Elmwood 21 $8,000,000 Ellicott Development Avenue50 960 Busti Avenue51 18 $6,900,000 Ellicott Development Our Lady of Lourdes52 12 $2,850,000 Ellicott Develoment 1115 Main Street Livery Stable53 14 $12,000,000 Mark Croce 73 West Huron Street White Building54 24 $12,000,000 Kissling Interests 298 Main Street The Marin & The 86 $48,000,000 Paul Kolkmeyer/Priam Glenny55 LLC 251 Main Street TOTAL 419 $261,010,000 9 Appendix 6 Selected Upcoming Residential Developments Project Name Number of Cost Developer New Units 1130 Elmwood Avenue56 50 $30,000,000 Chason Affinity 201 Ellicott57 200 $200,000,000 Ciminelli Real Estate QueensLight (319 Bryant St.)58 249 $122,000,000 Ciminelli Real Estate 1010 Elmwood Avenue59 51 $40,000,000 Ciminelli Real Estate Symphony Circle Senior Living 119 $30,000,000 Ellicott Development (291 North St.) 60 Waterfront Village 30 $28,000,000 Ciminelli Real Estate (260 Lakefront Boulevard) 61 2178 Seneca Street62 25 $9,000,000 Schneider Development Central Park, Phase I63 52 $24,000,000 LPCiminelli 665 $76,000,000 LPCiminelli Central Park, other phases64 (total project: (total project: 717) 100,000,000) Campus Square65 152 $90,000,000 Mark Trammell, McGuire (38 Holloway Boulevard) Development 1140/1166 Jefferson Avenue66 84 $21,000,000 Sinatra and Company McCarley Gardens67 15 $35,000,000 Sinatra and Company (818 Michigan Avenue) 70 Harvard Place68 24 $4,300,000 Sinatra and Company Lancaster Square69 60 $110,000,000 TM Montante 10 AP Lofts at Larkinville70 146 $39,000,000 KCG Development 545 Swan Street 2929-2939 Main Street71 300 $30,000,000 DF Fusion Investments 637 Linwood Avenue72 37 $11,400,000 People Inc. The Forge73 185 $48,000,000 Stuart Alexander and Associates 490 Broadway Avenue Queen City Landing74 199 $60,000,000 Trautman Associates 975 Fuhrmann Boulevard St. Paul’s Apartment Project75 7 $1,800,000 St. Paul’s Cathedral 128 Pearl Street Former WNED Studio76 19 North Street 39 $9,000,000 First Amherst 500 Franklin Street77 16 $1,000,000 Matthew Moscati The Knights78 506 Delaware Avenue 25 $6,000,000 James Jerge 810 Main Street79 18 $3,500,000 Legacy Development Trico Building80 791 Washington Street 185 $80,000,000 Krog Corporation Saturn Building81 505 Pearl Street 29 $6,500,000 Buffalo Development Co. HELP USA82 362 Broadway Avenue 48 $12,900,000 HELP USA Michigan Broadway LLC83 163 Broadway Avenue 18 $6,700,000 Steve Carmina Compass East84 425 Michigan Avenue 20 $7,000,000 McGuire Development Co. TOTAL 3048 $1,142,100,000 11 Appendix 7 Concentration of Section 8 Vouchers Utilized on East Side One of the most important sources of housing affordability is Section 8, a federal program that subsidizes rents, but Section 8 vouchers are not used uniformly across the city. This is likely the result of the program’s rental cost cut-off, rendering certain neighborhoods inaccessible for voucher holders, and/or certain landlords refusing to accept Section 8 vouchers (although such refusal is illegal in the City of Buffalo). In the map below, voucher use is concentrated on the east side of the City, while hardly any vouchers are used in the Elmwood Village area or downtown Buffalo. Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Map 5- Publicly Supported Housing and Race/Ethnicity, (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 12 Appendix 8 Lack of Access to Jobs Accessibility to employment is a problem on the east and west sides of the City. The map also depicts accessibility issues in north Buffalo, but when one considers that workers of color are more likely to be dependent on public transit than white workers, it is clear that job inaccessibility is particularly a problem in neighborhoods of color.85 The Job Proximity Index is calculated as a function of its distance to all job locations within a metropolitan statistical area, with larger employment centers weighted more heavily, and inversely weighted by the labor supply (competition) to that location. The higher the index score, the better access to employment opportunities for residents in a neighborhood. Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Map 8- Demographics and Job Proximity, (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 13 Appendix 9 Income Disparity Poverty is not spread evenly across the city of Buffalo, but is segregated to certain areas. Households with lower incomes are concentrated primarily on the east and west sides of the city, while Elmwood, north Buffalo, and Buffalo’s surrounding suburbs experience relatively little exposure to poverty. The Low Poverty Index is calculated using both the family poverty rate and the percentage of households receiving public assistance. The higher the index score, the less exposure to poverty in a neighborhood. Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Map 12- Demographics and Poverty, (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 14 Appendix 10 Racial Segregation The City of Buffalo is highly segregated. Black residents are heavily concentrated east of Main Street, while whites are concentrated primarily in the Elmwood area, north Buffalo and in the less-densely populated south Buffalo. One sees some racial integration of whites, Hispanics, blacks, and Asian/Pacific Islanders on the west side of the city. Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Map 1- Race/Ethnicity, (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 15 Appendix 11 Concentration of Wealth in White Neighborhoods Whites in Buffalo are located primarily in neighborhoods of wealth, while blacks, Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders live primarily in neighborhoods that experience the highest levels of poverty. The Low Poverty Index is calculated using both family poverty rate and the percentage of households receiving public assistance. The higher the index score, the less exposure to poverty in a neighborhood. Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Map 12- Demographics and Poverty, (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 16 Appendix 12 Unaffordable, Overcrowded and Sub-Par Housing in Neighborhoods of Color Housing problems—such as unaffordability, overcrowding, and lacking necessary kitchen or plumbing facilities—are most frequently found on the east and west sides of the City. Figure 6. Housing Problems and Demographics A household is considered to have a housing problem if its residents face one or more of the following issues: lacks complete kitchen facilities, lacks complete plumbing facilities, overcrowding (more than one person per room), cost burden (paying more than 30% of your income on housing costs). Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Map 6- Housing Problems, (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 17 1 Byron Brown, City of Buffalo, New York. Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. February 2014, 120. 2 U.S. Census, Selected Housing Characteristics, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF 3 Jay Rey, “More Than Half of Buffalo Children Live in Poverty, New Census Data Show,” The Buffalo News, Oct. 1, 2016, http://buffalonews.com/2016/10/01/half-buffalo-children-live-poverty-new-census-figures-show/. 4 “Rent Trend Data in Buffalo, New York,” Rent Jungle, accessed August 11, 2017, https://www.rentjungle.com/average- rent-in-buffalo-rent-trends/. 5 Susan Schulman, “City’s apartment boom leaves low income renters behind.” Buffalo News, June 19, 2017. 6 U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Table 10 – Demographics of Households with Severe Housing Cost Burden (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 7 Mike Maciaq, “Where the Housing Affordability Burden is Rising the Fastest,” Governing Magazine, August 3, 2016. 8 Christine Slocum, Research Analyst, Homeless Alliance of Western New York, personal communication, April 2017. 9 Jonathan D. Epstein, “Buffalo News: IDA Approves Tax Incentives for Four Projects,” April 22, 2015, http://www.ecidany.com/news/article/current/2015/04/22/100248/buffalo-news-ida-approves-tax-incentives-for-four- projects. 10 John McMahon. (Executive Director, Rental Assistance Corporation). Discussion with Sarah Wooton. April 2017. 11 Sam Magavern, “Working Toward Equality: Employment and Race in Buffalo,” (policy report, Partnership for the Public Good, 2016), 7, https://ppgbuffalo.org/files/documents/equality_civil_rights/race/equalitycivilrights- _working_toward_equity.pdf. 12 Ibid, 18. 13 U.S. Census, Selected Housing Characteristics, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF 14 Adie Tomer, “Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households” (policy report, Brookings Institute, 2011), https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0818_transportation_tomer.pdf 15 Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable, “The Racial Equity Dividend: Buffalo’s Great Opportunity” (policy report, Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable, 2016), 45 http://racialequitybuffalo.org/files/documents/report/theequitydividendfinalseptember2016.pdf. 16 Tara Watson, “New Housing, Income Inequality, and Distressed Metropolitan Areas,”(policy report, Brookings Institute, 2007), https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-housing-income-inequality-and-distressed-metropolitan-areas/. 17 Richard Florida, “The U.S. Cities Where the Poor Are Most Segregated From Everyone Else,” City Lab, March 24, 2014, http://www.citylab.com/housing/2014/03/us-cities-where-poor-are-most-segregated/8655/. 18 Li Yin, “The Dynamics of Residential Segregation in Buffalo: an Agent-based Simulation,” Urban Studies 46, no.13 (2009): 2749-2770. 19 See G. Scott Thomas, “Which Urban Area Has America’s Oldest Housing Stock? Hint: We’re Close, but It’s Not Us,” Buffalo Business First, 11 August, 2016), http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2016/08/11/which-urban-area-has- 18 america-s-oldest-housing.html; U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder Selected Housing Characteristics: 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (2015), https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/DP04/0500000US36029.06000. 20 Gail R. Burstein, Erie County, New York, Community Health Assessment 2014-2017 (n.d.), 87-89, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwiruJ_3s6HTAhVB1CYKHdI eAm4QFggpMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.erie.gov%2Fhealth%2Fsites%2Fwww2.erie.gov.health%2Ffiles%2F uploads%2Fpdfs%2FErie%2520County%2520Community%2520Health%2520Assessment%2520Final%25201.7.15.d ocx&usg=AFQjCNHbPa542GFJbZjOPbFPCh8vTkigUg&sig2=HZQoj5zDei7m9ESK9gx0Yg&bvm=bv.152180690,d.e WE&cad=rja. 21 Jerry Zremski, “Rate of Lead Poisoning for Children in WNY Far Exceeds that of Flint, Mich.,” Buffalo News, February 24, 2016, http://buffalonews.com/2016/02/24/rate-of-lead-poisoning-for-children-in-wny-far-exceeds-that-of-flint-mich. 22 U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Map Tool, Table 10 – Demographics of Households with Severe Housing Cost Burden (July 2016), https://egis.hud.gov/affht/#. 23 Thank you to the Public Accountability Initiative for their contributions to Appendices 10-12; Unless otherwise specified, all data in Appendix 10 is derived from: Johnathan D. Epstein, “A look at Buffalo’s booming apartment scene,” Buffalo News, 26 January, 2017, http://buffalonews.com/2017/01/26/look-booming-buffalo-apartment-scene/. 24 Ciminelli Real Estate office, personal communication, April 2017. 25 Ellicott Development, personal communication, April 28, 2017. 26 Standard Property Management, personal communication, April 25, 2017. 27 Greenleaf Development, personal communication, April 24, 2017. 28 “FAQ,” Hydraulics Lofts, accessed April 24, 2017, http://hydraulicslofts.com/. 29 “FAQ,” Buffalo River Landing, accessed April 24, 2017, http://buffaloriverlanding.com/faq/. 30 “Turner Brother Lofts,” Buffalo New York Lofts, accessed April 24, 2017, http://www.buffalonylofts.com/property/turner- bros-lofts. 31 Newell Nussbaumer, “ARCO Lofts,” Buffalo Rising, 10 April, 2015, https://www.buffalorising.com/2015/04/arco-lofts/. 32 “ARCO Lofts,” The Buffalo Lofts, accessed April 24, 2017, http://thebuffalolofts.com/property/arco-lofts/. 33 Sinatra & Company Real Estate, personal communication, April 28, 2017. 34 WCPerspective, “Construction Watch: Crescendo on Niagara Street,” Buffalo Rising, 3 June, 2015, https://www.buffalorising.com/2015/06/construction-watch-crescendo-on-niagara-street/. 35 “Our Floor Plans,” Crescendo, accessed April 24, 2017, http://www.crescendobuffalo.com/buffalo/crescendo/tab/2/. 36 “Construction Watch: 301 Ohio Street,” Buffalo Rising, 23 June, 2016, https://www.buffalorising.com/2016/06/construction-watch-301-ohio-street-2/. 37 Ellicott Development, personal communication, April 28, 2017. 38 Jonathan D. Epstein, “Buffalo’s Booming Apartment Scene,” The Buffalo News, 29 January 2017, sec. Real Estate, p.4. 39 Ibid. 19 40 Ellicott Development, personal communication, June 2, 2017. 41 “Ciminelli Real Estate begins $19 million renovation of former Mentholatum building,” NYREJ, 7 February, 2017, http://nyrej.com/ciminelli-real-estate-begins-19-million-renovation-of-former-mentholatum-building. 42 James Fink, “Buffalo Planning Board to review Alexandre apartments project,” Buffalo Business First, 7 January, 2016, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2016/01/07/buffalo-planning-board-to-review-alexandre.html 43 “722 West Delavan,” Ellicott Development, accessed April 21, 2017, https://www.ellicottdevelopment.com/portfolio/722- west-delavan-avenue/. 44 “270 Michigan Avenue,” Ellicott Development, accessed April 21, 2017, https://www.ellicottdevelopment.com/portfolio/270-michigan-avenue-2/. 45 Jonathan D. Epstein, “55 urban apartments planned by Sinatra in warehouse conversion on Main Street,” Buffalo News, 2 September, 2015, http://buffalonews.com/2015/09/02/55-urban-apartments-planned-by-sinatra-in-warehouse- conversion-on-main-street/. 46 “1050 Niagara,” Ellicott Development, accessed April 21, 2017, https://www.ellicottdevelopment.com/portfolio/1050- niagara/. 47 “Construction Watch: Work Underway at 500 Pearl Street,” Buffalo Rising, 6 February, 2017, https://www.buffalorising.com/2017/02/construction-watch-work-underway-at-500-pearl/; James Fink, “Planning board approves $75 million 500 Pearl project,” Buffalo Business First, 15 December, 2015, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/morning_roundup/2015/12/planning-board-approves-75-million-500- pearl.html. 48 “192 Seneca Street,” Ellicott Development, accessed 4 April, 2017, https://www.ellicottdevelopment.com/portfolio/192- seneca-street/. 49 “Construction Watch: Gates Circle Site,” Buffalo Rising, 20 October, 2016, https://www.buffalorising.com/2016/10/construction-watch-canterbury-woods-gates-circle/. 50 “905 Elmwood,” Ellicott Development, accessed April 21, 2017, https://www.ellicottdevelopment.com/portfolio/905- elmwood/. 51 WCPerspective, “Construction Watch: 960 Busti Avenue,” Buffalo Rising, 11 August, 2015, https://www.buffalorising.com/2015/08/construction-watch-960-busti-avenue/. 52 Epstein, “Buffalo’s Booming Apartment Scene,” p.4. 53 Ibid. 54 Ibid. 55 Ibid. 56 “City to Begin Public Review of Elmwood/Forest Project,” Buffalo Rising, 30 November, 2016, https://www.buffalorising.com/2016/11/city-to-begin-public-review-of-elmwoodforest-project/. 57 “Big Reveal: Bold Design for 201 Ellicott Street,” Buffalo Rising, 1 December, 2016, https://www.buffalorising.com/2016/12/big-reveal-bold-design-unveiled-for-201-ellicott-street/. 58 “QueensLight Project,” Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation, accessed April 21, 2017, https://www.ciminelli.com/development-projects-2016. 20 59 “The City of Buffalo NY Agenda Item 2754,” The City of Buffalo, accessed April 21, 2017, http://buffalony.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=1143&MediaPosition=&ID=2754&Css Class=. 60 Jonathan D. Epstein, “Allentown senior housing to focus on independent living as Ellicott takes over project,” Buffalo News, 17 January, 2017, http://buffalonews.com/2017/01/17/ellicott-takes-symphony-circle-senior-housing-project/. 61 James Fink, “At $545 million, Ciminelli Real Estate building for a big year,” Buffalo Business First, 19 January, 2017, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2017/01/19/at-545-million-ciminelli-real-estate-building-for.html. 62 “Big Deal: Schneider Renovating Shea’s Seneca,” Buffalo Rising, 7 November, 2016, https://www.buffalorising.com/2016/11/big-deal-schneider-development-renovating-sheas-seneca/. 63 Jonathan D. Epstein, “Apartments, townhomes planned for first phase of Central Park Plaza site,” The Buffalo News, 6 April, 2017, http://buffalonews.com/2017/04/06/ciminelli-readies-central-park-plaza-redevelopment-plan/. 64 Ibid. 65 Nancy Sanders, “Campus Square project to bring 153 apartments to medical corridor,” WIVB4, 29 December, 2016, http://wivb.com/2016/12/29/campus-square-project-to-bring-153-apartment-so-medical-corridor/. 66 WCPerspective, “Game-Changing Project Aired for Jefferson Avenue,” Buffalo Rising, 14 March, 2017, https://www.buffalorising.com/2017/03/game-changing-project-approved-for-jefferson-avenue/. 67 Jonathan D. Epstein and Karen Robinson, “McCarley Gardens to remain affordable housing under $35 million remake,” Buffalo News, 7 February, 2017, http://buffalonews.com/2017/02/07/mccarley-gardens-get-35m-makeover/. 68 James Fink, “Sinatra to invest $4.3 million in Harvard Place project,” Buffalo Business First, 12 December, 2016, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2016/12/12/sinatra-to-invest-4-3-million-in-harvard-place.html. 69 Jonathan D. Epstein, “TM Montante teams up with Rochester Developer on Gates Circle,” Buffalo News, 17 March, 2017, http://buffalonews.com/2017/03/17/tm-montante-teams-rochesters-morgan-gates-circle/; “First Mixed-Use Building Coming to Lancaster Square at Gates Circle,” Buffalo Rising, 1 March, 2017, https://www.buffalorising.com/2017/03/first-mixed-use-building-coming-to-lancaster-square-at-gates-circle/. 70 James Fink, “AP Lofts construction to start this summer,” Buffalo Business First, 5 April, 2017, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2016/04/05/ap-lofts-ready-to-start-construction-this-summer.html. 71 James Fink, “$30 million apartment complex planned for North Buffalo,” Buffalo Business First, 29 November, 2016, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2016/11/29/30-million-apartment-complex-planned-for-north.html. 72 Jonathan D. Epstein, “People Inc. gets go-ahead for Linwood senior housing project,” The Buffalo News, 5 December, 2016, http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/05/people-inc-gets-go-ahead-linwood-senior-housing/. 73 James Fink, “Developers ‘forge’ ahead on $48 million housing project on East Side,” Buffalo Business First, 5 April, 2017, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2017/04/05/developers-forge-ahead-on-48-million.html. 74 James Fink, “Get back: Buffalo board approves Queen City Landing’s shift away from Lake Erie,” Buffalo Business First, 4 January, 2017, http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2017/01/04/get-back-buffalo-board-approves-queen- city.html. 75 David Robinson, “St. Paul’s apartment project stirs concerns about lack of affordable downtown housing,” The Buffalo News, 22 March, 2017, http://buffalonews.com/2017/03/22/st-pauls-apartment-project-stirs-concerns-lack-affordable- downtown-housing/. 21 76 Ibid. 77 Ibid. 78 Ibid. 79 Ibid. 80 Ibid.; Jonathan D. Epstein, “Trico Building Finally Sold; Apartments, hotel envisioned,” The Buffalo News, May 31, 2017, http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/31/krog-completes-purchase-trico-building/. 81 Ibid. 82 Ibid. 83 Ibid. 84 Ibid. 85 PolicyLink, “Advancing Health Equity and Inclusive Growth in Buffalo” (policy report, PolicyLink, 2017). ________________________________________________________________________ Partnership for the Public Good www.ppgbuffalo.org 617 Main St., Suite 300, Buffalo NY 14203 22