Hempstead Village residents can apply for up to $40,000 in home repair funds

Mynita Atkinson has picked out the tiles, paint colors and vanities for two new bathrooms in her home in Hempstead Village, where homeowners are eligible for a state program designed to fund critical repairs in communities with a history of persistent housing discrimination. 

Atkinson, 63, is one of the recipients of funds from the Targeted Home Improvement Program, a state initiative offering up to $40,000 with certain conditions for low- and moderate-income homeowners.

Community Development Long Island is running the $5 million program in Hempstead Village as part of a larger $50 million statewide effort.

Applications for the program are still being accepted for homeowners whose total household income does not exceed 80% of the area median income. That equals $87,500 for an individual or $125,000 for a family of four, with income limits varying based on household size, according to federal guidelines.

Atkinson, a program coordinator for a Nassau County office, said she hasn't been able to afford to renovate her bathrooms in the town house where she has lived for the past 27 years. Leaks in the bathrooms had begun to cause water damage that CDLI deemed necessary to repair. 

"It's going to be a great relief to me," she said. "It takes a huge burden off my mind and it takes a huge burden off me financially because this is costly to have one bathroom refurbished, let alone two."

In all, the work on Atkinson's town house, including additional repairs to faulty outlets and to fix her stairs, will cost $45,000. That includes $40,000 from the Targeted Home Improvement Program, with the rest covered by a separate state home improvement program open to all Long Islanders.

The goal of the targeted program is "building more equitable communities," New York State Homes and Community Renewal said in a statement to Newsday.

"This $50 million investment will give eligible homeowners the resources they need to make critical repairs to their homes, prioritizing New York's commitment to reversing the effects of housing discrimination," the agency said.

Hempstead was the lone Long Island community selected for the pilot, which focuses on areas where there has been unequal access to homeownership and concentrated poverty for people of color, according to state guidelines. Latino and Black homeowners in Hempstead Village faced predatory lending practices in the lead-up to the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-08, and the village had one of the highest foreclosure rates in its aftermath, according to a report from Hofstra University's National Center for Suburban Studies.

That followed decades of discriminatory practices, including the steering of Black homebuyers toward minority areas and away from mostly white areas, Newsday has previously reported. 

The program is a way to fund projects that homeowners might have pushed aside as they focused on keeping up with mortgage and utility payments, said Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr.

"It's a financial relief to many who wouldn't be able to initiate these repairs on their own," he said.

Other participating areas include Albany, Binghamton, the Bronx, Newburgh, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Watertown. The $50 million program is expected to help about 1,400 households statewide, including roughly 110 in Hempstead.

The program is designed to fund projects that will improve the health and safety of a property by addressing code violations, making accessibility modifications or fixing environmental problems, said Gwen O'Shea, CEO of the nonprofit Community Development Long Island. Potential projects could include replacement of roofs, siding or windows as well as heating and electrical system upgrades.

"We know Long Island has some of the oldest housing stock in the country," she said. "As many individuals have aged in place, keeping up with some of the repairs or improvements that could assist them in their own health and safety, those repairs are oftentimes out of reach."

CDLI evaluates potential projects, determines the necessity of repairs and solicits bids from multiple licensed contractors. Homeowners may also suggest a contractor, who must be approved by the nonprofit. CDLI also monitors the construction and performs a final inspection. Applicants complete a prescreening process to ensure income eligibility and then are invited to fill out a more detailed application. After a review of applicants' assets, the nonprofit prioritizes projects based on need.

Homeowners must agree to maintain insurance and cannot rent the home out without first paying back the award. Recipients must agree to a lien on the property that stays in place for two to 10 years, depending on the size of their award. Families receiving more than $10,000 must stay in their homes for 10 years or pay back their award from the proceeds of the sale.

"If, for whatever reason, you decide to move, that can be taken off the sale price, but at least in the time that you've lived there, it's been a much healthier and safer place to live," O'Shea said. 

It's my hope that other residents become aware of it and apply for it and enjoy the joy that I feel about getting the work done to my home.

— Mynita Atkinson

In addition to the potential health and safety benefits for homeowners, the program also can have positive effects on communities and home values, O'Shea said.

"No one wants to see three houses on their street that have potentially been condemned," O'Shea said.

Atkinson said she has encouraged neighbors to apply and has appreciated the support from CDLI to move the project forward.

"It's my hope that other residents become aware of it and apply for it and enjoy the joy that I feel about getting the work done to my home," she said.

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.