Housing counseling and foreclosure help in Buffalo and Erie County.
If you own a home in Buffalo or Erie County and are falling behind on your mortgage, facing a foreclosure notice, or trying to buy your first home, there are free and low-cost resources available — but they're not always easy to find. This page covers the main organizations handling homeownership counseling, foreclosure prevention, and home repair grants for low-income residents. These organizations serve both the city of Buffalo and the broader Erie County area.
Housing counseling and foreclosure prevention: Belmont Housing Resources for WNY
Belmont Housing Resources for WNY is the region's largest HUD-certified housing counseling agency, serving more than 2,500 households annually across Western New York. All housing counseling is free of charge. Belmont's main office is at 1195 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209, and the main phone is 716-884-7791. The website is https://www.belmonthousingwny.org/.
For homeowners who have missed mortgage payments or received a foreclosure filing, Belmont provides private, one-on-one foreclosure prevention counseling with certified counselors. Counselors can walk you through every available option — loan modifications, repayment plans, forbearance agreements, and others — help you complete loss mitigation paperwork, and communicate directly with your lender on your behalf. This service is funded in part by the New York State Attorney General's Homeowner Protection Program and by Erie County and the City of Buffalo. A free monthly virtual workshop covering the foreclosure process and current government programs is also available — call 716-884-2358 x330 to sign up.
For first-time homebuyers, Belmont offers free homebuyer education workshops covering the purchase process step by step, available loan programs, savings and credit strategies, what to expect at closing, and how to maintain a home after purchase. These workshops are required for many down payment assistance programs offered in the Buffalo area, so attending early matters. One-on-one pre-purchase counseling is also available for people who want personalized guidance before committing to a purchase.
Beyond counseling, Belmont administers several homeownership development programs, rehabilitating vacant properties in the City of Buffalo and selling them to first-time buyers at market value. Over 200 homes were rehabbed in a recent year through this effort. Belmont also administers Individual Development Accounts — matched savings programs for qualifying residents working toward a home purchase, education, or small business goal. For more information see the IDA Individual Development Accounts guide.
For post-purchase questions — home maintenance, energy efficiency, or concerns that arise after buying — Belmont counselors remain available. No income restrictions apply to receive housing counseling services.
Home repair for low-income Buffalo homeowners: neighborhood-based programs
The City of Buffalo funds home repair assistance through a network of neighborhood nonprofit agencies, each covering a defined geographic area within the city. Grants and no-interest loans are available to income-eligible owner-occupants for code-related repairs, emergency conditions, and lead hazard remediation. Income limits are generally set at 80% of the Area Median Income, and applicants must have owned and lived in the home for at least one year. Taxes, water bills, and city fees must be current or in a payment arrangement.
Heart of the City Neighborhoods Inc. covers the Fruit Belt, West Side, Upper and Lower West Side, Elmwood-Bidwell, Elmwood-Bryant, Allentown, MLK Park, and Pratt-Willert planning neighborhoods. Emergency repairs handled include leaking or deteriorated roofs, sewer line breaks, water supply line breaks, inoperable heating systems and hot water tanks, electrical panel hazards, and gas line hazards. Assistance is structured as conditional grants and no-interest loans, with repayment tied to household income. If you live outside their coverage area, Heart of the City will refer you to the agency serving your neighborhood. Address: 135 Delaware Avenue, Suite 503, Buffalo, NY 14202. Phone: 716-882-7661. Website: https://hocn.org/.
Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center of WNY provides owner-occupied home repair assistance in Masten Park, Genesee-Moselle, Hamlin Park, Broadway-Fillmore, Delavan-Grider, MLK Park, and Pratt-Willert, among other East Side neighborhoods. The Matt Urban Center also administers weatherization programs that can lower long-term heating costs and provides a range of senior services at the same locations. Address: 1081 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14212. Phone: 716-893-7222. Website: https://urbanctr.org/.
University District Community Development Association (UDCDA) administers City of Buffalo repair programs for the University District area. Programs include emergency repair assistance, weatherization, and a first-time homebuyer rehabilitation program available to qualifying purchasers of one- or two-family homes. Through this last program, a first-time buyer can receive a conditional grant for up to half the cost of rehabilitation — up to $25,000 — on an eligible property within the city. Address: 564 Dodge Street, Suite 400, Buffalo, NY 14208. Phone: 716-881-6543. Website: https://udcda.org/.
Because the home repair programs are allocated by neighborhood, calling 211 — the free WNY social services helpline — is a reliable way to confirm which agency covers your specific address before applying. Multiple agencies serve different sections of the city, and the right agency for your block is not always obvious from the neighborhood names alone.
A note on Erie County's housing context
Buffalo's housing stock is one of the oldest in New York State, and a significant share of owner-occupied homes in the city were built before 1940. Lead paint hazards are particularly prevalent — eight Buffalo zip codes rank among the highest in New York State for childhood lead poisoning rates. Belmont Housing Resources administers the Lead Hazard Control Program in partnership with Erie County, providing low-cost lead remediation for qualifying families, property owners, and day care providers. If lead is a concern in your home, contact Belmont directly at 716-884-7791 to ask about this program alongside any other housing counseling need.
For homeowners in the Erie County suburbs outside the City of Buffalo — including Amherst, Hamburg, and surrounding towns — Belmont Housing Resources also provides counseling services and can direct you to any town-specific repair programs that may be available through your municipality.
How to get started
For housing counseling, foreclosure prevention, or homebuyer education, contact Belmont Housing Resources for WNY at 716-884-7791 or visit belmonthousingwny.org.
For home repair programs within the City of Buffalo, call the agency serving your neighborhood — Heart of the City (716-882-7661), Matt Urban Center (716-893-7222), or UDCDA (716-881-6543) — or call 211 to confirm which agency covers your address.
If you are outside the City of Buffalo, 211 can also identify county or town programs that may apply.
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