CAO of WNY Housing Department awarded $500,000 for home repair programs

The Community Action Organization of WNY has been awarded a total of $500,000 from New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYSHCR) to help support the Thrive at Home program. 

The funding is broken down as follows:

√ $150,000 to provide accessibility modifications for Medicaid recipients, funded by NYSHCR’s Access to Home for Medicaid Grant 

√ $200,000 to provide accessibility modifications for disabled veterans, funded by NYSHCR’s Access to Home for Heroes Grant

√ $150,000 to provide emergency repairs for senior residents, funded by NYSHCR’s Residential Emergency Services to Offer Repairs to the Elderly (RESTORE) Grant

CAO’s Thrive at Home program provides critical home repairs and modifications that enable residents of Buffalo’s lower East Side to live safely and independently in their homes. 

“Thanks to this funding from the state of New York, we will be able to make an incredible impact on the lives of our clients – a majority who would not otherwise be able to remain in their homes without the critical repairs and modifications,” said Drew Canfield, CAO’s director of housing development. “By targeting our funding in Masten Park, MLK Park, Broadway-Fillmore, Delavan-Grider, Pratt-Willert and Fruit Belt neighborhoods, CAO will improve the health and safety of residents and leverage the investment to uplift some of Buffalo’s most disinvested East Side neighborhoods in the process.” 

Building and strengthening these home repair programs support the new visionary strategy that Thomas Kim, CAO’s new president and CEO, has established for the organization.

“At CAO, we’re working to transform low-income neighborhoods into healthy communities where a system of integrated support services exists right where individuals and families live and work,” Kim said. “Through our home repair initiatives, we are helping individuals and families find convenient, affordable and streamlined ways to ensure they can stay in their homes for years to come. This helps residents build long-lasting relationships with the neighbors and businesses in their community, creating a tightknit support system essential to a thriving neighborhood.”

CAO is currently seeking matching funds for the Thrive at Home programs. For more details, contact Canfield at 716-881-6543 or [email protected].

The Community Action Organization of WNY was designated in 1965 as the official antipoverty agency for Erie County with a mission to serve the unmet needs of the low-income populations. Today, CAO serves more than 50,000 families and individuals within Erie and Niagara counties through various programs and services. Visit caowny.org for more information.