Coalitions
The WNYLC has co-founded and joined several groups advocating for social and economic justice, fighting for equality, and improving the conditions of our communities.
NYRL
New Yorkers for Responsible Lending
The Law Center is a proud member of New Yorkers for Responsible Lending (NYRL). NYRL is a statewide coalition of more than 170 organizations from all corners of New York State that promotes economic justice as a matter of racial and community equity through legislative and policy advocacy, popular education, media advocacy, and organizing campaigns.
Buffalo Niagara Community Reinvestment Coalition
BNCRC is a local Coalition of community organizations working to eliminate inequitable banking practices and the enduring impact of redlining. In the past, banks used discriminatory policies like redlining to determine who to give loans to. This practice is responsible for much of the poverty and segregation of neighborhoods we see to this day.
Few laws encourage banks to help the communities they have forced into poverty for decades. BNCRC works with local banks to ensure these laws are being followed and advocates for more branches and better products and services for the people of traditionally neglected communities.
BNCRC's Most Notable Accomplishments
Negotiating the construction of the first two banks and financial wellness center built on the East Side of Buffalo, an area deemed a banking desert due to its lack of access to financial institutions. Coincidentally, the East Side is home to 85% of Buffalo’s Black residents.
Generated $217 million in reinvestment donations in 2019 from local banks in the form of mortgages, small business loans, and better products and services for WNY families.
Erie County Zombies Foreclosure Task Force
The Erie County Zombie Foreclosure Task Force, founded by County Clerk Kearns and the Western New York Law Center, was created in response to the zombie foreclosure crisis in Erie County. The Task Force meets quarterly and comprises municipalities, banks, realtors, nonprofits, and other community leaders. Its mission is to share ideas among key stakeholders, distribute strategies with proven results, identify obstacles, and create new ways of dealing with zombie properties.
Distressed Properties Task Force
WNYLC hosts the Distressed Properties Task Force monthly. Members include elected officials, government employees, non-profit agencies, and other community members. The group’s mission is to identify and catalog vacancies, explore workable solutions to decrease the number of vacant properties in our local communities, and improve the quality of life for Western New York residents.
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