ROCHESTER, N.Y. — While campaigning to become the mayor of Rochester, Malik Evans pledged to help families build generational wealth through homeownership.

There's now a step forward this week in accomplishing that goal.

Evans, along with officials from the U.S. Department of Housing, broke ground on the first phase of the city's Buy the Block – Greenlining for a Better Rochester program.

Six model homes are being built in the city's northeast quadrant. They will be available for first-time homebuyers with a household income at or below 80% of the area's median income.

Evans says this is just the start with the construction of another 18 homes slated for next year. The city says the program aims to build 100 new, single family homes on city-owned vacant lots.

"Buy the Block is about equity,” Evans said. “It’s about righting the wrongs of decades of segregation and disinvestment in Black and brown communities. But more importantly, it is about opportunity. Providing families with a pathway to homeownership so they can begin building, you know my favorite word, inter-generational wealth."

“When I fought to include funding for local governments in the American Rescue Plan, it was because I not only wanted to see communities like Rochester recover but also to thrive for years to come,” U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said in a statement. “I applaud Mayor Evans and City Council for using these funds for the Buy the Block Program to ensure that families can own high-quality, affordable homes, and to undo the legacy of housing discrimination while creating stability in historically underserved neighborhoods.”

The Buy the Block application process is now open.

For more information, you can visit the city's website.