City inspector's home a blight on West Side street

[WNYresident]

Updated: January 30, 2012, 11:04 AM

Getting landlords to fix up vacant, boarded-up property can be a challenge — one that isn't necessarily easier, one neighborhood found, when the landlord is a city building inspector.


Turn off Richmond Avenue to Vermont Street, and the West Side neighborhood -- one that has seen a lot of improvement lately -- looks charming.


But two run-down houses pop up in the midst of all the neighborhood pride.


One was recently purchased at city auction by a West Seneca real estate agent with plans to fix up the property.

Read the full story in the Buffalo News

[WNYresident]

When you look over the millions of dollars that Buffalo was given from HUD, do you think it was spent in the best interest of our community? Or in the best interest of the controlling political party and the politically connected?

[wolfpack]

since 1976 HUD has sent at least $20 million each year which puts the total number close to $1 billion. It has been spread out over the City like the ancient Jewish creation story of a cow fecun___ing over the world. Nothing grew except the number of non-working centers for human services and housing and numbers of City workers charged against it. Hundreds of non-civil service executive directos and City Hall irregulars accepted monies without accountability. No neighborhoods were saved, no economic development that did not happen if developers did not risk their own money.Demolitions were never done in any logical sequence to save neighborhoods but scattered throughout the 9 districts to take a picture with a council member. Friends and families have benefited and many have moved to suburbs here and in sunny Florida. The Buffalo Medical Center is something to be proud of as is the Zemsky renovation of the Larkin neighborhood and lofts and apartments here and there. Studies have been profitable for UB folksand of course no coordination with the schools which are only saved if we cure poverty.

[Genoobie]

In short, no HUD money has not been spent wisely.

[WNYresident]

Have any corrective measures been put in place to get a better return for the community? Are the same faces still involved with HUD? If yes, why?

[Frank Broughton]

HUD in dumpster is only solution....

[WNYresident]

So when HUD money is issued to Erie County how/who decides how it is utilized?

[WNYresident]

Was HUD money used to built what we consider the projects in Buffalo?

Why can't HUD be used to build Habitat for Humanity houses or has it already been used in our community for that?

http://www.habitat.org/getinv/apply.aspx

[Frank Broughton]

So when HUD money is issued to Erie County how/who decides how it is utilized?

Ditch all funds for it on all levels.

[WNYresident]

Ditch all funds for it on all levels.

I didn't say scrap it. I asked who makes the decision how it is used. When you look over some projects HUD was used for in the past it seems that it wasn't spent wisely.

[Frank Broughton]

I know - I am saying ditch, too much wasted money and political favor!