Matinecock Court affordable housing — 47 years in the making — opens in East Northport

After 47 years, the $92 million Matinecock Court affordable housing development in East Northport is finally welcoming residents.

The first family moved in over Thanksgiving weekend, said Peter Florey, a principal with Levittown-based D&F Development Group, who, along with Greenlawn-based Housing Help Inc., developed the property.

Residents had been expected to move in during the summer, but a delay in the developer getting the certificates of occupancy extended that timeline.

“It wasn’t an inordinate delay in our view, if you take into account the 40-plus years it took to the point of the start of construction,” Florey said. “But we’re thrilled to get to this point, but most thrilled for the residents who are finally able to move in and call it home.”

Proposed in 1978, the development did not gain final approval until 2022. For decades, there was community opposition that included racist overtones, Newsday previously reported.

The Huntington branch of the NAACP sued the Town of Huntington in part for denying the proposal because the town's zoning code did not allow multifamily housing in the community. The organization alleged the move was a violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.

In the late 1980s, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a lower-court ruling against the town.

A lottery was held in June for the 146 cooperative units, which are in 17 two-story buildings on 14½ acres at the corner of Pulaski and Elwood roads. There also is a community center on the property. The units are one-, two- and three-bedrooms.

Eligibility for the lottery was based on income limits set by state and federal guidelines, Florey said. The community is a limited-equity cooperative. The residents are not buying the homes but instead building some equity without having to place a down payment or pay closing costs.

The income range of the residents is between $40,000 and $98,000, Florey said. Residents’ monthly payments depend on their income category and the size of the unit.

D&F Development Group will remain as managers of the property.

“We regard this not as of the end but the beginning of what will be a long and wonderful process,” Florey said.

Darnell Vaughn, 33, a Town of Huntington highway department employee, said he was lottery No. 114 and that securing a home is the beginning of the American dream for him, his wife and their four children.

“We’re now able to build a solid foundation,” Vaughn said. “It’s a great opportunity and will be a great experience for us; and it’s close to my job.”

Janaya Silva, 43, a mother of four, moved into the complex Thanksgiving weekend. “It’s an answer to prayer,” she said.

Longtime East Northport resident Denise Schwartz said she and her neighbors are hoping for the success of the development but are concerned about past changes such as the units going from half ownership and half rental to the limited-equity structure.

The reduced property taxes granted to the project as the result of a 50-year PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, also are concerning for the school district, she said.

“We’d like it to flourish and be another positive part of our greater community,” Schwartz said. “It’s just that when there’s been so much secrecy and saying one thing and doing another, it makes people concerned.”

Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of Housing Help Inc., a nonprofit affordable-housing advocacy organization, said the community is a testament to those who proposed it.

“This project represents the vision, perseverance and the efforts of the founders of Housing Help who never gave up for decades on their mission to bring affordable, accessible and safe housing for individuals and families who need it,” she said.

NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie contributed to this story.