New affordable apartments in East Patchogue available through housing lottery

Long Islanders searching for apartments can apply for one of 38 units in East Patchogue that will be available at below-market rents as part of a housing lottery open through April 29.

The Grove, developed by Georgica Green Ventures, will open early this summer, with rents ranging from $1,575 for a one-bedroom to $3,076 for a three-bedroom unit, depending on an applicant’s income and household size. 

Individuals applying for the building's most affordable one-bedroom units can earn up to $65,640, while a family of four earning up to $140,580 could qualify for the priciest three-bedroom. 

“This project is designed to be affordable to not just one particular group of people but three tiers of incomes,” said Allison Ekblom, vice president of development at Glen Cove-based Georgica Green Ventures. 

The Grove, which cost about $35 million to build, is the latest project tied to the revitalization of East Patchogue, which got a boost last year when the state committed $2 million for a cultural arts center in the hamlet.

Long Island has the greatest percentage of renters, 51%, that pay at least 30% of their incomes toward housing costs of any region in the state, according to a report published last year by state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. 

The new apartments will bring new residents to East Patchogue, which is needed to attract retailers to the area's downtown, said John Quatrale, a board member at civic organization Focus East Patchogue. 

“These housing units will bring people into the community, and you need people to help raise up an area — people to be out walking, people to be on the streets patronizing local businesses,” he said. “All those things make for a vibrant community.”

Amenities at the building include a children’s playroom and a fitness center, as well as on-site laundry.

Ekblom credited Georgica Green’s property management for helping it maintain relationships with local communities and win support for building additional housing in areas such as the Town of Southampton.

“The key is having a presence — having staff walking around the property, staff cleaning up garbage and maintaining the appearance of the buildings,” she said.

The 55-unit building also has 17 units set aside for survivors of domestic violence. They will have access to on-site support services from nonprofit New Ground, a Levittown-based social services agency. Those units, offered at lower rents than the others, are separate from the lottery, and New Ground will coordinate placement of clients who need housing.

The lack of affordable housing on Long Island creates dangerous situations for domestic violence survivors who cannot afford to move to new homes, said Shannon Boyle, New Ground’s executive director.

The new apartments will give individuals a chance to focus on other aspects of their lives, such as going back to school or getting ahead at work, she said.

“The Grove is a model that needs to be repeated because there’s not enough affordable housing on Long Island, and when I say affordable, I mean for the lowest-income individuals that are trying to climb out of poverty and still want a safe and good place for their children to grow up,” Boyle said.

People with a mobility-related disability will receive priority for six of the units while individuals with a hearing or vision disability will receive priority for three units.

The Grove will also include 1,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, which Georgica Green hopes to lease to a grab-and-go food establishment, and a public plaza on the corner of East Main Street and Grove Street will have outdoor seating.

Financing for the project included $21.1 million from federal and state low-income housing tax credits, as well as $2.4 million from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the state’s affordable housing agency. Suffolk County also contributed $1.8 million in acquisition and infrastructure loans.

The apartments at The Grove exemplify how new affordable housing can boost economic development in an area, RuthAnne Visnauskas, commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewals, said in a statement.

“Communities across Long Island need homes that are attainable for people at all income levels and in all stages and phases of life,” she said.

Lottery applications are available online at ggvllc.com/lottery. 

By Jonathan LaMantia

jonathan.lamantia@newsday.com@jonlamantia

Jonathan LaMantia covers residential real estate and other business news on Long Island. He previously covered the business of health care for Crain's New York Business.