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Zombie & Vacant Properties Remediation and Prevention Initiative

The Town of Amherst has secured a grant pertaining to the Zombie and Vacant Property Remediation and Prevention Initiative through the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. A Zombie property is a vacant property that the owner has vacated due to notice of or commencement of the Foreclosure process, but the bank has not completed the foreclosure. A vacant property is defined as not occupied nor maintained for at least 90 days.  Foreclosure is usually connected with life changing events that can effect anyone at any time, examples may include a loss of job, loss of a partner, health issues and many other situations.

If you or someone you know is going through a financial hardship pertaining to foreclosure, we ask that you reach out to us at the Town of Amherst or our contracted Foreclosure Counseling Partners Belmont Housing Resources or Buffalo Urban League. Any inquiries pertaining to these matters are kept strictly confidential.

It is imperative that you take action at an early stage to make sure you understand your rights as a homeowner. Many lenders will attempt to work with you up to and including a potential loan modification. In order for you to take advantage of these opportunities it is necessary that you take action early and take a proactive stance on the situation. Many of our residents have advised us that they are not taking action because their situation has not changed. A prime example is “I have been, and I still am out of work.” If you are in a situation like this it is necessary that you go through the process. By ignoring the situation you may lose an opportunity if circumstances change in the future. Our partners are full service HUD foreclosure counseling agencies. They will work as a liaison between the homeowner and lender. They understand the process and will ensure that the necessary steps are taken at the proper times. This process can require quite a bit of documentation. Our partners will be able to advise you as to all of the necessary pieces of documentation and timeframes to supply them. Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions. We understand that this is a hard topic to discuss, but necessary. We will work the hardest to answer all questions and refer each of our residents to the proper services that may be able to assist them.

About Amherst

The Town of Amherst was established in 1818 and celebrated its 200th Anniversary in 2018. The town has a geographical area of 53.6 square miles and a population of greater than 122,000.

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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Town of Amherst ADA Coordinators are Robert McCarthy (Director of Human Resources) and Mark Berke (Commissioner of Buildings).

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The Town of Amherst takes great pride in providing useful, timely and accurate information through its official website. We encourage public participation in our website and ask that you provide your feedback to help us make our site even better. Contact the website administrator at toawebsite@amherst.ny.us.

Get in Touch

  • General Information:
    (716) 631-7000
  • Email:
    toainfo@amherst.ny.us
  • Address:
    Municipal Building (Town Hall)
  • 5583 Main Street
  • Williamsville, NY 14221