Mastic, NY - April 22, 2016 - In a partnership between the Suffolk County Landbank and Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk, a blighted, vacant former 'zombie' house in Mastic, was demolished on Wednesday to make way for a new, affordable, owner occupied home to be constructed by Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk.
The bank foreclosed home, which had been identified by the Town of Brookhaven as a vacant and blighted structure, was purchased by the Suffolk County Landbank via grant funding from the New York State Office of the Attorney General's Community Revitalization Initiative (CRI). The CRI program utilizes funds from the National Mortgage Settlement to fund New York State Land Banks' efforts to eliminate blight in areas hardest hit by the mortgage foreclosure crisis.
The home, which was un-repairable was then transferred to Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk in March 2016, and the non-profit will construct a new single family home under their existing home-ownership program, which utilizes volunteer labor and sweat equity from program participants in the home's construction.
“I am thrilled to see the Landbank moving forward with its second home in Mastic this year,” stated Legislator Browning. “The housing crisis hit Long Island really hard, but this innovative program is helping to get these blighted properties back into the hands of homeowners. Thanks to Attorney General Schneiderman we have the necessary funding to continue this effort into the future.”