Here is an article from Abundant Community about how one city approached the problem of abandoned properties and is providing green, affordable housing.
On the surface, the GDZ still looks similar to other Buffalo neighborhoods: The streets are lined with 100-year-old two- and three-story houses, and in the summer, they teem with people. Old ladies sit and talk on first-floor balconies, while kids weave in and out of slow-moving traffic on bicycles. But this small neighborhood is in the midst of a pretty radical transformation.
“Sustainability” in the context of PUSH’s agenda means reducing the neighborhood’s environmental impact, but also strengthening the local economy and creating green jobs in the building rehabilitation and weatherization industries. PUSH was instrumental in getting the Green Jobs – Green New York legislation passed, which seeks to create 35,000 jobs while providing green upgrades and retrofits for 1 million homes across the state. PUSH recently established PUSH Green to implement the GJGNY program in the Buffalo area, functioning as an independent outreach contractor in the region. For the work, PUSH has established what it calls a “Community Jobs Pipeline,” a network of contractors who agree to provide job training, pay living wages, and hire local workers from target populations.
Please read the whole article, Green Housing: In Buffalo, It’s Not Just for Rich People Anymore
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