The need for affordable housing has reached crisis proportions throughout the County. Families and businesses have all felt the repercussions of this challenge as young workers and our elderly have left Long Island for more affordable housing elsewhere. This issue did not develop overnight, nor can it be solved overnight. It will take all of us working together to find a multitude of solutions that help us keep our families together. The County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning is working to increase the amount of affordable housing throughout Suffolk County by working with Municipalities, Not for Profit Organizations and Developers to construct and rehabilitate housing that is affordable to individuals whose income does not exceed 80% of the HUD-established area median income (AMI) for the Nassau-Suffolk Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for rentals and 100% of the AMI for home ownership. This program provides gap funding to assist developers in balancing development costs.

The Suffolk County Housing Opportunities Programs encourage the development of affordable and workforce housing by contributing Land Acquisition and/or Infrastructure funding through the use of Capital Bond proceeds. Both owner-occupied and rental housing will be eligible to receive assistance. Preference will be given to projects of 10 or more units. Land Acquisition funds can be contributed as a reimbursement following the developers land acquisition or prior to the developer’s acquisition of land to reduce the cost burden and allow developers to charge less for the rent or purchase price of newly constructed or rehabilitated units. The County partners with developers at early stages in the development process to consider funding options. Land acquisition funds can be contributed prior to the developers acquisition of land, and infrastructure costs can be contributed as a reimbursement following the completion of construction, both with the goal of reducing the cost burden and allowing developers to charge less for the rent or purchase price of newly constructed or rehabilitated units. Eligible infrastructure improvements include, but are not limited to roads, parking, sewers, water, sidewalks, street lighting and appurtenant landscaping within the development area.

Units subsidized with funding from these programs must be affordable to individuals whose income does not exceed 80% of the HUD-established area median income (AMI) for the Nassau-Suffolk Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for rentals and 100% of the AMI for home ownership. Please refer to the Program Term Sheets, Application, and other links on the Affordable and Workforce Housing - General Information page for more information.