PUSH's Aaron Bartley and Erik Walker nail the first of their Pataki signs over the doorway of a condemned house on the West Side.

In some of Buffalo’s East and West Side neighborhoods, children who wake up in the morning eager to get outside and enjoy the summer sun are greeted instead by rat-infested, condemned houses. PUSH Buffalo (People United for Sustainable Housing) estimates that the State of New York is responsible for 1,499 neglected and abandoned properties in the city. On July 12, PUSH opened a new front in their campaign to shame Governor George Pataki into forcing the state agency that owns these derelict properties to take responsibility for them.

The plan is to nail eight-by-five-foot pieces of plywood to the doors of as many condemned buildings as possible. The large pieces of plywood are complete with a stencil drawing of Pataki, a sentence about the problem and a phone number to his office for complaints (518-474-8390). The goal is to keep the neighborhood secure from the threats these buildings pose and draw attention to the fact that MBBA, the agency that holds the mortgages on these properties, has not taken responsibility for the problem. The first piece of plywood was nailed to a condemned house near the corner of Grant and Delevan. Prior to the hammering of the first nails, members of the community were given a chance to speak out to those who have the resources to do something about the problem.

Deloris Howard, a Buffalo resident who lives next door to a condemned house and across the street from two more has recently moved to Buffalo and believes it is a beautiful city that needs to be updated. She spoke out emotionally about the hard work she has done to her own home and the difficulties that the nearby condemned buildings pose to her family.

“I would like to see Mr. Pataki come to this neighborhood for one half hour and see what we are going through and what our children are going through,” said Howard. “We are living in fear because of these abandoned buildings. Our children need a safe environment to live in to grow up healthy; they need a place to play. To those that have the privilege to take care of this put your feet in our shoes and try to understand what we are feeling.”

In 2003, the City of Buffalo sold tax liens on about 1,500 properties to the Municipal Bond Banking Agency (MBBA). The deal was supposed to lead to a more efficient rehab, resale or demolition of these properties. Instead, on the East and West Sides of Buffalo, an average of two homes per block are condemned and rotting as a direct result of dealings with MBBA. Thousands of these homes sit vacant and neglected with no plan in sight for restoration or sale to responsible homeowners.

PUSH has been the city’s only line of defense against the problem. They’ve done whatever possible to increase awareness about this topic, even going door-to-door petitioning people to get involved in their cause and appearing in various media outlets throughout the city.

“PUSH represents people who want better for their neighborhood, want something to be done and want someone to take responsibility for what is going on where we live,” said PUSH’s Eric Walker. “Its high time that people who are responsible and people who have resources like Pataki, MBBA, and the housing financial agency should take responsibility for them. Show the City of Buffalo that there is a viable solution and there is leadership.”

There is increased optimism among the members of PUSH and throughout the community that this new campaign will reach Pataki’s office. These rundown homes will not be as easy to ignore with a picture of the governor firmly planted on the door. The fact that most Buffalo media outlets were on-hand to witness the nailing of the first piece of plywood shows that PUSH has been successful in getting the attention of Buffalonians. The question that remains is whether their efforts will reach Governor Pataki’s office.

“We cannot stand by as children wander through open, vacant, neglected properties,” said PUSH’s Aaron Bartley. “There are dangers in the form of mold, rats, asbestos and falling debris. Damages caused by the MBBA and Pataki’s neglect total well over ten million dollars. To our knowledge Governor Pataki has never been to our neighborhood and we want him to see these homes in person.”