Buffalo’s East Side residents react to denial of proposed emergency homeless shelter

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Common Council on Tuesday denied a proposal for a new homeless shelter on East Ferry Street. Many residents are pleased with the outcome, saying their voices were finally heard.

After weeks of back and forth between Family Promise of Western New York and the community, residents are feeling relieved to see the proposal off the table.

“It’s time for us to say enough is enough,” said East Side resident Sandra Baines. “We value. We’re important just like the rest of this city.”

Masten District Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart spoke with WIVB News 4 on Wednesday. She voted to deny the proposal, saying it came down to what the community wanted.

“It is about community harmony,” Everhart said. “If we can’t come to some sort of agreement and understanding together, it can’t move forward.”

For many residents, it wasn’t about opposing helping people who are homeless, but about feeling safe in the neighborhood they have called home for many years.

Family Promise of WNY defends proposed homeless shelter

There are already several homeless shelters located on Buffalo’s East Side, leading to worries that adding another could bring more challenges than solutions.

“I have grandchildren that walk to the store, and I can’t even let them walk alone too much now,” said East Side resident Sharone Lewis-Terry. “Let alone with another homeless shelter there.”

Both Lewis-Terry and Baines said this is a pattern they’ve seen for years. They feel the East Side has become a dumping ground for projects like this, while other neighborhoods in Erie County don’t face the same burden.

“You’re bringing the homeless from all over Erie County and you’re putting them here on the East Side,” Baines said. “It’s not fair.”

The residents said the fight to get this proposal denied was about protecting the future they’ve been working hard to build. They want to see their community continue to grow in a positive direction, with improvements that benefit everyone.

“I love my neighborhood,” Baines said. “With all of the problems we’ve had, we’ve cleaned up a lot of them. I’m happy here.”

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Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.

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