We’re back at the Buffalo Home and Garden Show today, Saturday and Sunday.
You’ll find us at Booth 320, lower level to the left after you enter.
Stop by and chat!
Today, Friday, 10-9; Saturday 10-9; Sunday 10-6.
Comments :: home ownership, Media, Store
The People's National Fuel Stakeholder Meeting
THURSDAY, MARCH 10TH @ 4PM St. Paul's and St. Mark's UCC (Niagara and W. Huron) National Fuel executive are on their way to Florida, where they will be making a plan to increase their profits while we are left out in the cold. But tomorrow the community will have a voice too! We'll be passing our own resolutions and delivering them to National Fuel! Spread the word far and wide: Buffalo is tired of big corporations like National Fuel taking resources out of our communities and leaving families to make tough choices just to stay warm. Why is National Fuel CEO David Smith making $3,500 an hour while WNY families struggle to pay their bills? National Fuel needs to partner with this community because we have the solutions and we deserve better! We'll be meeting on Niagara St then marching up to National Fuel to send a strong message that we can't afford to be left out in the cold any longer. When we show up in big numbers, people listen! We need you! The People's National Fuel Stakeholder MeetingComments :: Activism, Community, home ownership, Housing Issues, Politics, Sustainability
HEAP is a federally funded grant program intended to assist low-income households in meeting immediate home energy needs. HEAP recently changed their guidelines – if you didn’t qualify before, you may qualify now!!
HEAP can help you pay your families energy bills in an emergency situation or over a period of time. Please check out the following eligibility guidelines to see if you qualify for a HEAP Program.
There are THREE types of HEAP benefits:
Regular HEAP – this benefit is an annual supplement to assist eligible households with heating costs or to supplement rent which includes heat.
Emergency HEAP – this benefit is used to meet heat or heat related emergencies. (such as a shut off notice)
Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement – this benefit is available to assist homeowners in replacing or repairing unsafe or inoperable primary heating equipment.
Beginning November 1 each year, clients can apply for regular and emergency benefits. When funding runs out, the application period closes.
Eligibility Rules for Regular HEAP
HEAP eligibility is based on the following:
2010-11 Income Eligibility Guidelines
|
Household Size |
Tier I |
Tier II |
|
1 |
$1,173 |
$2,129 |
|
2 |
$1,578 |
$2,784 |
|
3 |
$1,984 |
$3,439 |
|
4 |
$2,389 |
$4,094 |
|
5 |
$2,794 |
$4,749 |
|
6 |
$3,199 |
$5,404 |
|
7 |
$3,604 |
$5,527 |
|
8 |
$4,009 |
$5,650 |
|
9 |
$4,415 |
$5,773 |
|
10 |
$4,820 |
$5,896 |
|
11 |
$5,225 |
$6,029 |
Emergency HEAP
In addition to regular benefit eligibility criteria, applicants for Emergency Benefits must also have the bill in their name or the vendor must be willing to put the bill in the applicant’s name. Emergency applicants should have a shut off notice.
Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement
HEAP benefits are also available to repair or replace the primary heating system for households when the system is unsafe or inoperable. The applicant must be the homeowner. The dwelling must be the applicant’s primary residence and the applicant must currently be residing in the dwelling.
Applying for Regular Benefits
Households must file an application each HEAP program year. All applicants can apply by mail unless they are self-employed or have rental income. You can also fill out the HEAP application in person at the NYS HEAP Bureau.
Contact Information:
NYS HEAP BUREAU
NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
40 North Pearl St., 11th floor
Albany, NY 12243
Phone: 518-473-0332
NYS HEAP Website: www.otda.state.ny.us/main/programs/heap
NYS HEAP Email: nysheap {at} otda.state.ny(.)us Additional information and an eligibility prescreening tool can be found at: www.mybenefits.ny.gov
Comments :: Environment, home ownership, How-To, Money, Sustainability
Just passing this along from Linda at the Board of Block Clubs. It’s important to be a GOOD LANDLORD.
CITY OF BUFFALO
LANDLORD TRAINING
Friday, November 5
8:30am – 4:30pm
At Belmont Shelter Corporation
1195 Main Street
At the corner of Dodge
If you are a landlord or considering property management, don’t miss the opportunity to learn valuable information such as
To register, please visit the City of Buffalo’s website.
Comments :: Blog, Dream It; Do It, Education, Government, home ownership, Housing Issues, How-To
The City of Buffalo owns the most properties in Buffalo–most of which are vacant. Every October the City holds an auction on foreclosed empty lots, vacant commercial buildings and vacant houses. Many property owners who shop at The ReSource have successfully bid on properties and rehabbed the structures to live in themselves or to earn income as landlords. Maybe this is something you’ve thought of yourself but don’t know where to begin. I encourage you to attend our info-session October 2nd at 2pm. Megan McNally, Cassie Wilson, Michele Johnson, Harvey Garret and Diane Wray will be present to provide strategies, share their personal experiences and answer questions. There are a lot of options for acquiring property in Buffalo–this just one, but it might be the method that works for you.
Join us at 298 Northampton St.
There’s a need from Grace Community Church (175 Potomac Ave) for rides and/or carpooling to this event–not sure how many people. If anyone can assist, please coordinate with Matt Kauffman of the Homebuyers Club–maybe meet there at 1:30pm and then head over to ReUse before 2pm.
Comments :: Blog, home ownership, Housing Issues, How-To, Politics, Sustainability Tagged "in-rem" "foreclosure auction" "City of Buffalo"
I wouldn’t ordinarily tell someone to go out and buy a book, but this one is definitely one I think should be added to every household. It’s a great book for newlyweds or college kids or folks who are starting out on their own. Why? The book is full of useful, practical, environmentally friendly tricks and tips for day-to-day house keeping.
It’s a compilation from Reader’s Digest–I know, I know–Yes, that book your gramma has on the little shelf in the bathroom. But think about all the stuff your gramma knows how to fix and organize and DO. Think of how we have changed our mentality of thrift to going out and buying convenience or buying all kinds of single purpose tools. Yet, we already have tons of stuff in our pantries and cupboards and junk drawers that could do a lot more if we only thought differently about their uses.
If you try to read it cover to cover in one setting, you’ll be overwhelmed–there’s over 2300 tips! Instead, read it a little each night or thumb through it and read whatever bits strike your fancy. There’s tons of photos, drawings, and sidebars which break up all the concentrated information. You will be a greener Know-it-All in no time. It has everything from cleaning to cooking, storage to organizing and repairing– making play-dough and more. You will save money, buy fewer tools, you will use (and flush) fewer harmful chemicals down the drain, you will be more useful to others and you’ll be richer in experience! Unfortunately, the library won’t let you keep it forever, so get it used from a used book store instead.
Comments :: Activism, Blog, Education, Environment, Good Reads!, home ownership, Sustainability
You are probably seeing more and more rain barrels popping up in gardens, driveways, and backyards — if you haven’t found one for yourself yet, look no further.
And if you do not yet know: rain barrels can make a huge impact on our local ecology by conserving rain water, slowing water runoff, and preventing pollution and debris from being carried into our waterways and municipal systems. Installing a rain barrel allows you to catch clean, untreated water that has fallen from the sky and hold it there until you need it — taking a bit of the burden off your tapwater, and the municipalities that make it. If everyone in the city did this, think of the difference that could be made!!!
You will most likely see rain barrels all over if you are out and about for Buffalo’s Garden Walk this weekend, so if you get jealous and have the urge to keep up with the Joneses (or just want to water your garden or wash your car), you can get yourself a rainbarrel from our store at 298 Northampton for just $30.
Comments :: Activism, Community, Community Gardens, Education, Environment, home ownership, Store, Sustainability
Many of us own valuable stuff we just don’t want anymore. But instead of giving it away or selling it, we allow it to clutter our households and businesses. Billions of great items are just wasting away, taking up space.
Wouldn’t it be cool if we could magically shift ownership of this stuff, in one weekend, coast to coast, with zero effort, little time, and at no cost?
On May 15, bring your valuable, but unwanted stuff to your curb. Some guidelines – no trash, recyclables, illegal or dangerous items. No food, drugs, chemicals, or weapons. Just safe, valuable items we would like to donate. Then watch the fun – or better yet, take a walk and find some free stuff you can use.
Give Your Stuff Away Day is not a government program. Let’s keep it citizen-based, and let the government solve bigger problems.
But let’s also be responsible by:
• informing our local municipalities of our intent to participate
• asking local governments for a waiver to ordinances that might prohibit this activity
• placing at our curbs only items that others could use
• retrieving items not picked up within a couple of days
Want to help?
• Forward this blog to family and friends
• Write a small article or letter to myself
• Contact Buffalo ReUse and let them know you want to participate
• Help sponsor Give Your Stuff Away Day
Overall Mission. Shrinking landfills, reducing clutter, helping people…
For more information on this as well as more general guidelines and acceptable items that could be given away check out the give your stuff away day’s website.
If you need a friendly little reminder throughout the year, think of Mr. C the Slide Man’s song “Cha-Cha Slide”. That will remind you to place potentially valuable items you’re discarding to the left and your normal trash to the right. That will make it easier for others to salvage items from your curb year-round.
Graham Gund Architect of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Larkin at Exchange Building, 6th Floor, Barton Room
726 Exchange Street, Buffalo NY 14210
Tuesday, April 13
2 – 4 PM
Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) is hosting a free lecture on making historic buildings – and all older building – more energy efficient. As the construction and operation of buildings accounts for more than 40% of the United State’s carbon dioxide emissions, reusing and retrofitting our existing buildings can reduce emissions dramatically.
Barbara Campagna, a Buffalo native, is the chief architect for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She will discuss the National Trust’s Sustainability Program and how the 29 historic sites of the National Trust are integrating historic preservation values with green building practices – from green housekeeping techniques to sustainability master plans to LEED certification for historic rehabilitations. The National Trust’s efforts are demonstrating that conservation and improvement of our existing built resources, including re-use of historic and older buildings, greening the existing building stock, and reinvestment in older and historic communities, is crucial to combating climate change.
According to Barbara, “Older buildings are one of our greatest renewal resources and everyone concerned with the environment should also recognize the value of keeping older buildings energy efficient and viable.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Comments :: Blog, Environment, home ownership, Housing Issues, How-To
