Habitat for Humanity says demand to build affordable homes skyrocketing on Long Island
As home prices rise, more Long Islanders struggle to get their home.
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Habitat for Humanity of Long Island says applications for a Habitat home have gone up 600% in the last five years.
Like many hopeful Long Island homeowners, David Stanley needed help buying his first house.
"We do not have an opportunity to have homes anymore, unless things like this step in for us down here at the bottom," he said.
Stanley's new home in Riverhead was partially funded and built by Habitat for Humanity of Long Island.
He's now buying the home at about a third of the cost, thanks to the nonprofit.
"It's just become so unaffordable for people to live on Long Island that we're getting hundreds of applications sometimes for one home," said Diane Manders, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Long Island.
As home prices rise, more Long Islanders struggle to get their home, and Manders has seen that firsthand.
That's why she says Habitat is hoping to help with the increase in demand of houses.
"We have been doing for the last 10 years, six to eight a year. We're really trying to bump that up in 2026 to eight to 10," said Manders.
To qualify for a Habitat home, you must be in need of safe, affordable housing, meet a low to moderate income threshold, help out in the construction of a Habitat house and be able to pay an affordable mortgage.
"Their entire monthly expense for housing we cap that at 30% of their income to make sure the house stays affordable for them," said Manders.
Manders says they need more volunteers and sponsorships to build more houses.
"Companies can come out with us, build for the day, sponsor a day, they write that off. Their employees have a great time, they use it for team building, so we always need more help," she said.
You can go to HUD.gov, put in your zip code, and it will give you a list of agencies that can help with financial planning to help start the process of buying a house.
