Neighborhood Health Center is celebrating $400,000 in state funding that was secured by New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera. The funding will support construction and infrastructure upgrades at a new Neighborhood Health Center location at 2497 Delaware Avenue, which is projected to open as Neighborhood’s seventh site in Western New York in summer 2026, and Neighborhood’s Riverway location at 1569 Niagara Street.

The investment will fund renovations necessary to operate the Delaware location as a Federally Qualified Health Center. The facility previously operated as an urgent care center. The renovations will ensure the building meets New York State Department of Health architectural standards required to provide comprehensive primary care services. Improvements include creating counseling spaces for integrated nutrition and behavioral health providers, and accessibility and safety improvements for patients and staff.

Neighborhood is expanding to the Delaware Avenue site in North Buffalo because of a need for affordable, high quality primary care in the area. In the surrounding 14216 ZIP code, 32 percent of households report incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, while 22 percent of residents rely on Medicaid for healthcare coverage. Nearly 4,000 residents report having no usual source of care, and more than 2,500 have delayed seeking healthcare due to cost.

“I thank Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Assembly Member Jon Rivera for this support,” said Joanne Haefner, Neighborhood Health Center President and CEO. “Data tells us that people have better health outcomes when they get patient-centered primary care and preventative services, and they avoid more costly care choices, such as emergency rooms and hospital stays. This investment in Neighborhood’s expansion is an investment in the health of Buffalonians. Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their highest level of health and wellbeing.”

Neighborhood Health Center’s Riverway site at 1569 Niagara Street opened in 2022. In 2025, the site provided care to more than 10,000 patients across a wide range of services, including primary care, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral health and psychiatry, nutrition and wellness counseling, optometry, podiatry, dentistry, and pharmacy services. Continued investment in the facility and its grounds will help maintain and expand the services available to patients on Buffalo’s West Side and surrounding neighborhoods. The state funding will support improvements to this site’s information technology infrastructure, along with upgrades to parking and fencing to enhance safety and accessibility for patients, staff, and community members.

Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes and Assemblymember Rivera noted that by investing in these critical upgrades for an organization that has served as a cornerstone of community health in Buffalo, they’re helping ensure that Neighborhood can continue delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care to thousands of Western New Yorkers for years to come.

Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “Access to high-quality, affordable healthcare should never depend on a person’s income or ZIP code. This $200,000 investment will allow Neighborhood Health Center of Western New York to expand its services and strengthen the infrastructure needed to care for more patients in our community. By supporting  improvements at both the Delaware Avenue and Niagara Street locations, we are ensuring that families across
Buffalo, especially those in medically underserved neighborhoods, can access the primary care, behavioral health services, and wellness resources they need to live healthy lives.”

The state funding is a much appreciated contribution to the capital campaign Neighborhood launched earlier this year for support with the start-up costs of opening the Delaware Avenue site. The campaign is an opportunity for community members to invest in their health center and support Neighborhood’s mission of welcoming all Western New Yorkers for high quality, patient-centered primary healthcare. Click here to make a donation to the campaign.