Urban Homestead Program

Buffalo’s Urban Homesteading Program enables eligible residents to purchase publicly owned land at a below market rate. Properties that are within designated Urban Renewal Areas are eligible for inclusion in the Urban Homestead Program at the sole discretion of the Office of Strategic Planning, provided that the property is not needed for public purposes and no qualified buyer is attempting to purchase the property.

Under this policy, residents have the opportunity to purchase vacant land either as a side yard next to an existing residence or for the purposes of new home construction; the program also allows for abandoned houses to be purchased for rehab. This is one of many examples of cities providing low-cost access to vacant lots as an incentive for reuse.