Assemblyman Philip Ramos (D-Central Islip) today announced he secured $40,000 in funding for the Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP) to help revitalize the Sunnybrook neighborhood of Bay Shore.

The rehabilitation of existing homes and creation of ten new town homes and four new colonial homes will comprise Sunnybrook Court — replacing two overcrowded boarding houses that had been operated by an absentee landlord and overrun with decrepit rooming houses and drug trafficking.

"We will not have the labor force to expand Long Island’s businesses and spur economic growth if our families can’t find affordable housing," Ramos said. "It’s critically important that we create more affordable housing initiatives so families can enjoy the benefits of living, working and raising their families right here on Long Island."

"Assemblyman Ramos manifests his commitment to providing homes that Long Island's sons and daughters can afford with his legislative grant to the Long Island Housing Partnership. The Housing Partnership is, of course, grateful to Assemblyman Ramos; more importantly, first-time home owners throughout the Sixth Assembly district will be able to remain close to their families and friends and will be available as workers for Long Island's businesses," said Jim Morgo, President of the Long Island Housing Partnership.

Ramos noted that in the past four years, home prices on Long Island have increased 81 percent while household incomes have risen only 14 percent, according to a study prepared for the Long Island Housing Partnership.

The LIHP is a private not-for-profit developer which has built over 1,400 affordable homes on Long Island. "More than 4,500 families have become homeowners because of the assistance they received from LIHP. The funding I secured will help even more Long Island families realize the dream of home ownership," Ramos said.

Ramos also pointed to a study done by the New York State AFL-CIO, which found that a person must earn at least $64,000 to afford the median monthly cost of owning a home with a mortgage in Suffolk County.

"Too many working families are already struggling to make ends meet," Ramos said. "This money will help more Long Island families afford the type of housing every working family deserves, while also helping keep more families in our community."

This is part of Ramos’ ongoing effort to make Suffolk more affordable, including fighting the governor’s cuts to education — which would have forced double digit tax increases last year — and sponsoring the law extending SONYMA’s ability to provide more mortgages to low- and moderate-income first time homeowners.