VIDEO: BUFFALO CLERGY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS CALL ON GOV. HOCHUL TO TAKE REAL ACTION ON AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
Faith And Advocacy Leaders Highlight Soaring Costs Of Living And Car Insurance Slamming Western New Yorkers
BUFFALO – Clergy and community leaders from across Western New York gathered Monday at Miracle Missions Full Gospel Church to call on Governor Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to take immediate action to address New York’s affordability crisis.
Hosted by the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of the National Action Network (NAN) and Agents for Advocacy, the event brought together faith leaders, advocates, and residents to highlight how rising costs for housing, food, utilities, and car insurance are pushing working families to the brink.
“People across Buffalo and across the state are hurting,” said Rev. James Lewis, President of the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of NAN. “Every week, more families tell us they can’t keep up with rent, groceries, or their car insurance bills. Governor Hochul and Albany must deliver bold action to bring relief and restore hope to communities like ours.”
“This affordability crisis is crushing families who are doing everything right. That’s just wrong,” said Mark Talley, founder of Agents for Advocacy. “First it was food, then rent, and child care. Now car insurance rates in Western New York have skyrocketed, and it’s unacceptable. We’re calling on state leaders to step up, reform the system, and put working families first.”
Across New York, auto insurance premiums have climbed nearly 40% above the national average, leaving working families to choose between paying for essential coverage or meeting basic household needs. Fraudulent and exaggerated claims – including staged car crashes, fake medical bills, and phony lawsuits – are among the top factors driving this surge.
Speakers emphasized that this affordability crisis is not confined to Buffalo – it’s a statewide emergency demanding statewide solutions. They urged Governor Hochul and the legislature to make affordability a top priority in the 2026 session, with concrete steps to lower costs and ensure economic stability for working and middle-class New Yorkers.
"As a business owner, I know Buffalo businesses are really struggling," said Sherrie Barr Mack, Chair Advocacy Committee - National Association Women Business Owners (NAWBO). It is not just the rising rents, shopping habits, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. Skyrocketing car insurance costs affect the entire supply chain of businesses. It's time for less talking and more doing from the state government."
Buffalo leaders are joining a growing coalition of community and business leaders across racial, ethnic, and geographic lines – united in calling for anti-fraud reforms, stronger enforcement, and fairer insurance rates to bring auto insurance premiums down.
“New Yorkers deserve to live with dignity, not debt,” Rev. Lewis added. “We’re calling on our leaders to act – show us a plan not tomorrow, but today.”