More Than 1000 Evictions Have Happened In Western New York

Once again Erie County and Western New York lands itself high up on a dubious list and there are lots of people in the area who are not happy about it.

For the majority of the year in 2022 Erie County led the entire state of New York in the number of Warrants of Evictions, or legal court-ordered eviction notices issued to renters and so far in 2023 Western New York is well on its way towards being back on that list.

According to data released by the New York State Unified Court System, more than 1,000 residents in the local area have had notices filed against them by the courts.

During the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, there were several programs available to help someone if they fell behind on their rent. However, most of those programs have run out of funds, leaving many people to fend for themselves. Many people who fell behind during the pandemic have not been able to get caught up.

People all over the country, including here in Buffalo and Western New York, were hit very hard by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The long-term impacts of that public health crisis, combined with the serious lack of affordable housing throughout the state continues to show the serious situation that now exists with thousands of people on the verge of losing their housing.

Statewide, there have been more than 16,000 eviction filings so far in 2023, with the bulk of the filings happening in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Manhattan, and Queens.

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If you or someone you know is in danger of being evicted, we have a breakdown of the eviction process here. You can also contact 211 in Western New York for access to rental legal assistance, and there are still some rental assistance programs available in Western New York.