Posted by Joe Maxfield

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A congressional task force that's analyzing
the housing, transportation and infrastructure needs of the
nation's older cities is gathering information in Buffalo.
The Congressional Revitalizing Older Cities Task Force held its
first hearing outside Washington Friday, in an aging industrial
city with all the typical ills of others like it.
Congressman Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, is co-chair of
the task force formed last year. So far, members have introduced
bills to help cities deal with cleaning up vacant housing and
brownfields.
Michael Clarke, executive director of the Local Initiatives
Support Corporation, proposed making Buffalo a "living
laboratory," where new strategies for reclaiming vacant properties
and revitalizing neighborhoods could be tried.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-15-08 1455EDT