Homelessness Prevention Program

Homelessness Prevention Program is sponsored by Buffalo Urban League. This program is aimed at preventing individuals and families from entering homelessness due to economic hardship. Services include payment of past-due rent and case management to address housing stability.

Buffalo Urban League - Buffalo, NY - Housing and Community Development Serving the Community Since 1927.

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Housing and Community Development As the oldest HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) approved Housing Counseling Agency in Western New York, the Buffalo Urban League's Housing and Community Development (H&CD) Department delivers solutions by providing our neighbors with homeownership education, first-time homebuyer assistance, financial empowerment (budget and credit) coaching, foreclosure prevention counseling, predatory lending avoidance, affordable rental search coaching, fair housing education, and minority and women business loan and technical assistance.

Our team of highly trained housing professionals have nearly 100 years of combined real estate, banking, mortgage, and small business development experience. We strive to ensure that all of our programs are available to everyone in need in Erie County focusing on the City of Buffalo.

You can routinely find our team in our neighborhoods, meeting with people one on one and conducting workshops, with the overall goal to educate and increase our neighbors’ knowledge base. Foreclosure Prevention Program Our HUD-certified housing counselors assist homeowners facing foreclosure by providing one-on-one counseling and advocacy.

We support clients with : Navigating the foreclosure process Exploring options such as loan modifications, partial claims, or loss mitigation alternatives HUD-certified financial, credit, and budget counseling Referrals to legal partners for tax foreclosure or more complex cases Designed to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness by quickly securing stable housing and connecting them to supportive services.

Our assistance includes: Short-term rental assistance Housing search and placement Case management and stabilization services Homelessness Prevention Program Aimed at preventing individuals and families from entering homelessness due to economic hardship.

Services include: Case management to address housing stability Budget counseling and resource referrals First-Time Homebuyer Counseling Our HUD-approved counselors help first-time buyers navigate the path to homeownership.

Services include: Budget and credit counseling Guidance through mortgage readiness and down payment assistance programs WNYICC 1115 Medicaid Housing & Utility Supports Eligible Medicaid members may receive additional support services through the Social Care Network (SCN) to address housing-related social determinants of health.

Housing Supports Include: Rent assistance (up to 6 months, aligned with HUD Fair Market Rent caps) Housing search and placement assistance TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHTED ABOVE - PLEASE CLICK HERE Progressive UpPayment® Program Buffalo Urban League | 2026 Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Opportunity Purpose: The Progressive UpPayment® Program is designed to help eligible first-time homebuyers close the down payment gap and move into homeownership faster through HUD-certified housing counseling and grant assistance.

Program Sponsor / Administrator: The program is sponsored by Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and administered by the National Urban League . Buffalo Urban League is one of the participating National Urban League affiliates. Buffalo Urban League Goal Buffalo Urban League is working to help eligible Western New York homebuyers move from counseling and mortgage readiness to successful closings.

The next program milestone is to support eight grant-assisted buyers through closing, subject to eligibility, funding availability, documentation, administrator approval, and closing readiness. Eligible homebuyers may receive a grant of up to $13,500 toward the down payment on an eligible residential property.

The final grant amount is based on the lesser of: The buyer’s down payment need minus the buyer’s available savings, as determined through a HUD-certified counselor affordability analysis, or The remaining funds available to the local affiliate for that funding month. Grant funds may be used toward the down payment for a qualifying home purchase.

non-commercial residential property Intended to become the buyer’s Important Applicant Restrictions Applicants may be restricted if they are employees, immediate family members, or otherwise connected to Progressive Insurance, the National Urban League, participating affiliates, or related program entities as outlined in the official program terms.

no repayment requirement , and the grant does not create a lien or security agreement on the property. not paid directly to the buyer . Grant funds are paid directly to the buyer’s closing agent by the program administrator.

Applicants must meet the program’s eligibility requirements, including: Be actively participating in a HUD-approved housing counseling program Have a mortgage pre-approval letter from an institutional lender dated within the past Be able to identify a closing agent and provide required disbursement information Have household income below 500% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines Be a legal resident of the United States or District of Columbia, excluding U.S. territories Be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in the applicant’s state Not have received an award through this program within the prior three years The official application period begins May 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET and ends October 31, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM ET , unless modified by the sponsor or administrator.

The program performance period shared in the affiliate webinar runs from May 1, 2026 through November 30, 2026 . Applicants are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis over the program period. Each affiliate reviews applications in the order received.

If monthly funding has already been fully disbursed, pending applications may be automatically reconsidered in the following month as long as the applicant remains eligible.

Interested applicants should: HUD-certified housing counselor Confirm eligibility for the program Complete the application provided through a participating National Urban League affiliate HUD-certified counselor Submit the completed application through the housing counselor Applicants who are already working with a HUD-certified housing counselor outside the National Urban League network may contact the UpPayment Program Coordinator at Uppayment@nul.

org for assistance. Required Application Information Applicants should be prepared to provide: Basic personal information Current stage in the homebuying journey Closing agent information, if selected Sales contract, if selected Closing Agent ACH form, if selected Signed affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release before disbursement Each participating affiliate has access to monthly funding allocations.

For Buffalo Urban League, funding availability follows the affiliate monthly schedule: Month Funds Available Per Affiliate Total potential affiliate funding equals Housing & Economic Development Department Contact: Buffalo Urban League Housing & Economic Development Department This term sheet is for informational and outreach purposes only. It does not replace the official Progressive UpPayment® Program Terms and Conditions.

Program eligibility, award approval, grant amount, timing, and disbursement are subject to the official terms, funding availability, administrator review, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Applicants may be asked to sign publicity and release documents. Program participants should not release publicity materials about their participation without the required sponsor or administrator consent.

1st Time Homebuyer Orientation Join our Housing Counselors every 4th Tuesday of the month all year long! Are you interested in buying a house but don't know where to start? We got you covered!

Direct assistance to 52 small businesses including 33 new start-ups and 19 existing businesses. First-time home purchases for low to moderate-income families resulted in $2,100,000 in new mortgages. Approval of 70 households completely paying off home loans to prevent foreclosure.

We offer a variety of housing services, including first time home-buyer education and counseling, financial capability (budget and credit) education and counseling, mortgage foreclosure intervention counseling, rental assistance counseling, and fair housing education and counseling. We are the oldest HUD-certified housing counseling agency in the area.

The Housing Counseling provides the following core services: First-Time Homebuyer Education and Counseling: We provide first time homebuyer orientations, which gives an overview of the homebuying process. We then work one on one with the potential homebuyers to determine their mortgage readiness, and further guide them through the homebuying process.

We will inform the client(s) of first-time homebuyer programs offered by local lenders and municipalities, which they may be eligible for. We also offer first time home-buyer workshops, which is the 8-hour workshop required by lenders in order to close on the new home.

Financial Capability Education and Counseling: We provide workshops and presentations on topics such as budgeting, credit repair, banking, predatory lending, and avoiding mortgage foreclosure. Our presentations are targeted to the specific audience in order to meet their needs most effectively. We regularly conduct sessions in the community upon request.

Additionally, we provide information at community events and health fairs. We also meet with individuals/households on a one-on-one basis to assist in establishing a spending plan (budget), and if requested, a credit review.

Mortgage Foreclosure Intervention Counseling: Housing counselors work with homeowners and the lenders/servicers to determine an affordable solution in order to resolve or prevent mortgage delinquency or default which may cause loss of a home. Rental Education, Counseling, and Financial Assistance: Housing counselors work with tenants to locate, secure, and maintain affordable rental housing.

Fair Housing and Predatory Lending Counseling and Education: We provide information to inform the public of their fair housing rights and responsibilities, and how to report an alleged violation of those rights.

PROGRAM SERVICES/ACTIVITIES First Time Homebuyer Education and Counseling Financial Capability (Budget/Credit) Education and Counseling Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention Counseling The Housing and Community Development Program is supported by the following funders: City of Buffalo, New York Town of Amherst, New York United Way of Buffalo and Erie County Office of the New York State Attorney General US Department of Housing and Urban Development Various Financial Institutions Served 287 individuals/households, with the following services: • 126 participants in the financial capabilities workshops • 60 participants in the First-Time Homebuyer program • 15 participants in the one-on-one financial capabilities counseling program • 49 participants in the mortgage foreclosure intervention counseling program • 37 participants in the rental assistance counseling program