COVID-19 abruptly put many out of work last year. According to the New York Department of Labor, Western New York saw a decrease of over 50,000 private sector jobs in 2020.
With unemployment a concern across the counrty, Erie County announced its "Stay In Your Home" campaign Feb. 11. Not long after, the City of North Tonawanda did the same.
Kate Lockwood, WNY Law Center Director of the Vacant and Abandoned Properties Program, said there is good reason for concern.
“In 2020, because of all the moratoriums and things, there is a significant drop in actual foreclosure filings, which adds to the concern that when foreclosure filings happen again, we'll sort of see a glut of new cases,” Lockwood explained.