Housing and Community Development

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HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

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

Rapid Rehousing Program

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:

  • Payment of past-due rent
  • 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:

  • Pre-purchase education
  • 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 

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.

Grant Amount

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:

  1. $13,500,
  2. The buyer’s down payment need minus the buyer’s available savings, as determined through a HUD-certified counselor affordability analysis, or
  3. The remaining funds available to the local affiliate for that funding month. 


Eligible Use of Funds

Grant funds may be used toward the down payment for a qualifying home purchase.

The home must be:

  • A non-commercial residential property
  • A non-mobile home
  • Intended to become the buyer’s permanent residence


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.


Type of Assistance

This is a grant, not a loan.
There is no repayment requirement, and the grant does not create a lien or security agreement on the property. 


Funds are not paid directly to the buyer. Grant funds are paid directly to the buyer’s closing agent by the program administrator. 


Who May Apply

Applicants must meet the program’s eligibility requirements, including:

  • Be a first-time homebuyer
  • Be actively participating in a HUD-approved housing counseling program
  • Have a mortgage pre-approval letter from an institutional lender dated within the past six months
  • 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 

Program Timeline

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. 

Selection Process

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. 


How to Apply

Interested applicants should:

  1. Contact a HUD-certified housing counselor
  2. Confirm eligibility for the program
  3. Complete the application provided through a participating National Urban League affiliate HUD-certified counselor
  4. 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
  • Household information
  • Current stage in the homebuying journey
  • Personal narrative
  • Mortgage pre-approval
  • Closing agent information, if selected
  • Sales contract, if selected
  • W-9 form, if selected
  • Closing Agent ACH form, if selected
  • Signed affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release before disbursement 


Funding Availability

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

 May               $13,500

 June               $27,000

 July                $27,000

 August          $13,500

 September   $13,500

 October        $13,500

  Total potential affiliate funding equals $108,000. 



Contact

Buffalo Urban League
Housing & Economic Development Department
Contact: Buffalo Urban League Housing & Economic Development Department
Phone: 716-250-2400

email: Info@bulny.org


Disclaimer

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.



Media / Publicity Notice

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. 

This is important for buyers, media partners, photographers, real estate professionals, and community partners involved in any closing celebration, ceremonial check presentation, or social media announcement.


You're invited to our

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!

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • 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.

GENERAL PROGRAM OVERVIEW

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

Sign Up for First Time Homebuyer 101 Workshop Here (1 Hour Workshop)

Sign Up for Online Homebuyer Education Course (8 Hour Workshop)

Financial Capability (Budget/Credit) Education and Counseling

Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Counseling

Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention Counseling

Fair Housing Information

FUNDERS

The Housing and Community Development Program is supported by the following funders:


  • City of Buffalo, New York
  • Town of Amherst, New York
  • Erie County, New York
  • United Way of Buffalo and Erie County
  • Office of the New York State Attorney General
  • National Urban League
  • US Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Various Financial Institutions
PROGRAM IMPACT POINT

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