Brookhaven Seeks Penalty Money from Banks to Rehab Abandoned Homes For First-Time Homebuyers
Farmingville, NY – On Tuesday, October 3, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine was joined by the Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI) Chief Executive Officer Mitchell H. Pally to announce a proposed program to rehabilitate vacant “zombie homes” that continue to plague Long Island nearly a decade after the national housing foreclosure crisis occurred. The Supervisor is seeking to use fines paid by banks responsible for the housing crisis to pay for their rehabilitation, and working together with local builders and not-for-profit housing agencies to convert these blighted structures into vibrant homes for first time home buyers.
Since 2015, the Town has been very aggressive in addressing “zombie homes” through a demolition program to rid neighborhoods of these eyesores, some in danger of collapse and rehabilitation is not an option. Supervisor Romaine has now identified many vacant and abandoned houses that are good candidates for rehabilitation and he proposes that they would then be made available to first time home buyers.
Division of Public Information - Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill
Farmingville, NY 11738
Phone: 631-451-6595