42 Plymouth has been renovated in a partnership with a neighborhood resident and HOCN board member who purchased this house, strategically located in the middle of the targeted block.

HOCN next moved on to 23 Plymouth Avenue, a once vacant and decrepit property that is now home to an income-qualified hard working mother and her daughter.

Following the successful collaboration on 42 Plymouth, HOCN was able to purchase and restore the property next door, 44 Plymouth.

Less than 2 blocks from the College property, this house is located at the corner of Maryland and Malta, in a stable section of Maryland and sits across the street from 3 in-fill new builds constructed by the City 10 years ago. The Community Preservation Corporation provided permanent financing on this project ($60,000) and the remaining 2000 Wendt grant award were used to cover the $17,500 rehab plus closing costs. The Lower West Side has an urgent need to pent up demand for good quality rental units. Completed in August 2004, one unit is rented to a single mother and her young son; the other two are being marketed to low/mod renters.

The renovation of the former Norban's into Buffalo's first downtown hostel was HCN's first renovation project, completed in 1998. The project saved an architecturally interesting, small commercial structure and had brought international travelers into the heart of the City.

This once vacant, dilapidated building was purchased and rehabilitated by two dedicated HCN Board Members. In partnership with other Board Members and neighborhood volunteers, they converted one unit into the business office for HCN and the other into a two-bedroom residential unit.

Completed in 2000 at a cost in excess of $400,000 as 6 market rate, 2-bedroom rental units. Prior to the city deeding this property to HCN, this turn of the century building had been abandoned and was occupied by vagrants, creating serious security and quality of life issues for the residents of Georgia-Prospect and the students at Hutch-Tech High School, located across the street. This was one of the pioneering, downtown market-rate rental projects that have since been followed by a series of very successful, privately developed units throughout the downtown core.

This property, at a highly visible intersection in the heart of Allentown, was in the hands of an absentee landlord. It had fallen into disrepair and had become a fire hazard due to the excessive amount of "collectables" stored in the house. In 2001, HCN conducted an extensive renovation of this 1880's home, using a combination of Wendt, LISC, NYS HOME funds and a Fannie Mae grant. The original buyer put the house on the market and it recently sold for $128,000. The Allentown Association and Kleinhans Community Association view this as a very successful project that has served to stabilize the entire block. Two other recent sales on this block of college have been in excess of $100,000, well above their assessed value. This is even more remarkable given the average assessment on this block is only $44,320.

Bought in partnership with West Side Neighborhood Housing Services, this home has been sold to an individual who has completely restored the property to its original single-family configuration.