Erie County Still Leads New York State In Evictions

Earlier this year it was announced that Erie County had the dubious distinction of leading the state in rental evictions since the COVID-19 pandemic had started to wind down.

According to new statistics that have been released by the New York State Unified Court System, Erie County still leads the state and has in fact further surpassed other areas of New York.

Through September 26, 2022, more than 3,400 Warrants of Evictions had been issued in Buffalo and Erie County. This number still surpasses every other county in New York, including all of New York City and Long Island.

This is really significant when you consider the population of Erie County, compared to the downstate counties like Kings or Queens county.

• The Population of Erie County, according to the US Census Bureau is 950,683.
• The population of Kings County is 2,641,052.

Buffalo and Western New York were hit hard by the COVID-19 Pandemic, combined with the serious lack of affordable housing in the Buffalo area have created a serious situation where thousands of people are in real danger of losing their housing. That in turn can have a negative impact on our families, neighborhoods, and communities.

There has been quite a bit of rental assistance that had been made available in an attempt to prevent a mass homelessness crisis in the state, but looking at these eviction numbers, it seems like it's just not enough to stop the landslide.

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.