The village of Williamsville, consistently ranked among Erie County's highest-cost communities to rent, added nearly 100 income-restricted apartments in April 2026. Blocher Apartments, a $42.6 million development by People Inc., completed construction at 121 Evans Street and opened its doors — receiving more than 400 applications for just 93 available units, according to WKBW reporting from April 2026.

What Was Built

The Blocher Apartments project involves two distinct construction components on a single campus. The first is the renovation of the Blocher Homes, a former senior housing residence that had served the community for decades. The second is the construction of three new two-story residential buildings on the same site, per the Governor's April 9, 2026 completion announcement. Together, the project delivers 93 apartments spread across 54 one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units, along with 23 apartments with larger floor plans set aside for residents with developmental disabilities who receive support services from People Inc. or their chosen agencies.

The development is designed for broad accessibility. Ten units are specifically adapted for residents with mobility disabilities, and five units are adapted for residents with hearing or vision impairments. All units are all-electric, with heat pumps for heating and cooling, ENERGY STAR appliances, EV charging stations, and a green roof system providing stormwater management — features that exceed standard affordable housing requirements, per the state announcement.

Amenities include a community room, playground, on-site laundry, and landscaped outdoor seating areas. The site is approximately 500 feet from a major bus route and within walking distance of Williamsville's historic Main Street shops and restaurants, making it well-suited for residents without vehicles.

Construction Delivery: Renovation and New Build on One Campus

Managing a simultaneous historic renovation and new construction on a single occupied campus is a logistically demanding assignment. The renovation scope required careful selective demolition to preserve the structural and architectural integrity of the Blocher Homes building while replacing or upgrading all major mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems throughout. New two-story buildings were constructed using conventional wood frame and masonry construction, allowing the project team to sequence pours and structural framing around the occupied renovation phases. The all-electric mechanical systems — air-source heat pumps, energy recovery ventilation, and ENERGY STAR-rated appliances — required close coordination between the electrical and mechanical trades, as all-electric multifamily construction was still relatively uncommon among Erie County affordable housing developers at the time of construction. The green roof installation added further coordination requirements between the roofing contractor and the landscaping and stormwater management consultants. The project reached substantial completion in late 2025, with a phased lottery and move-in process that began in fall 2025 and was completed by spring 2026, per reporting consistent with the People Inc. opening announcement.

Financing Structure

The $42.6 million project was assembled through a layered public financing stack typical of affordable housing development under New York State's system. The largest single source was the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), which generated $21.2 million in equity. The State Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program contributed approximately $3.1 million in additional equity.

Other funding sources include: $3.8 million from HCR's Supportive Housing Opportunity Program; $5 million from the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Integrated Supportive Housing program; $372,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's New Construction-Housing Program; $1.3 million through the Town of Amherst HOME ARP program; a $600,000 HOME Entitlement loan from the Town of Amherst; and $1.5 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York's Affordable Housing Program. Equity investors include Raymond James and Webster Bank, with NBT Bank providing construction financing, per People Inc.'s opening celebration announcement.

Affordability and Demand

Units are restricted to households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Rent for one-bedroom apartments ranges from approximately $785 to $1,125 per month, and two-bedrooms from $1,141 to $1,289 — significantly below the area's market-rate average of more than $1,500 for a one-bedroom, per WKBW. The 4-to-1 application-to-unit ratio underscores a persistent demand for affordable housing in suburban Erie County communities that are rarely associated with housing stress.

The project is the eighth residential construction project developed by People Inc. using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, according to a People Inc. press release. Since Governor Hochul took office, HCR has created or preserved more than 11,600 homes in Erie County as part of the state's $25 billion five-year Housing Plan, per the Governor's completion announcement.

What This Signals for the WNY Construction Market

Blocher Apartments illustrates a durable pipeline dynamic in Western New York: New York State affordable housing programs are consistently generating construction contracts across Erie, Niagara, Monroe, and Genesee Counties, even as market-rate multifamily construction remains suppressed by high interest rates and rising materials costs. The combination of federal tax credit equity, state program grants, and local HOME dollars creates project economics that allow new construction and rehabilitation to proceed in markets where private developers would not otherwise build. For contractors and subcontractors in the region, state-financed affordable housing represents a significant and relatively stable segment of the residential and multifamily construction market — one that is unlikely to dry up so long as Albany continues prioritizing housing production as a policy goal. The Blocher Apartments project, at $42.6 million and 93 units, sits at the upper end of affordable housing transaction sizes in the region, reflecting the genuine cost of construction at current labor and material rates.

Sources

Governor Kathy Hochul — Completion of $43 Million Affordable Housing Development, April 9, 2026
New York State Homes and Community Renewal — Blocher Apartments Completion, April 9, 2026
People Inc. — Opening of Blocher Apartments, April 10, 2026
WKBW — Blocher Apartments Opens to Meet Demand, April 9, 2026
People Inc. — Blocher Apartments Property Page
People Inc. — Blocher Apartments Groundbreaking Press Release