Thursday, October 1, 2026
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in February that more than $240 million has been awarded to housing developments around New York state to support the creation of 1,800 low-cost home units in 27 housing developments — including Dogwood Terrace in Franklin Square.
The senior residence, on Martha Place, is set to receive $19.2 million for the redevelopment of its 104-unit complex, according to Hochul’s office. Plans call for the addition of a 3,700-square-foot apartment unit constructed by Georgica Green Ventures, a developer in Glen Cove, in partnership with the Town of Hempstead Housing Authority.
The announcement has drawn praise from local elected officials, who said that improvements at Dogwood Terrace are long overdue.
“I’m pleased to see that real action is finally being taken on much needed improvements at Dogwood Terrace,” State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Residents deserve safe, modern housing, and these modernization efforts are long overdue for the Franklin Square community.”
Edward Cumming, director of the town housing authority, said that although the state has been “dragging its feet with unnecessary administrative hurdles and delays,” the agency is planning to proceed with Dogwood Terrace’s modernization.
Joe Scianablo, the Democratic candidate for town supervisor, applauded the investment in the complex, saying it would make a meaningful difference for residents. “This is the kind of progress residents have been waiting for, especially after prior commitments by the Town that were never met,” Scianablo wrote in a statement.
While many officials and community members expressed their support for the redevelopment, some Dogwood Terrace residents say they are concerned about the timeline and where they will live during the construction.
John Heaphy, 82, a longtime resident, said the town has been uncommunicative throughout the process, and that residents are unsure when or where they will be relocated during the renovations. According to Heaphy, they originally received the news of the upcoming renovations online, and no direct communication from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the town’s housing authority. The federal agency, according to Homes and Community Renewal, will issue vouchers to residents guaranteeing them the right to return when the renovations are finished.
Heaphy said that they had not yet received the vouchers, and the details of the project remained unclear.
HCR confirmed in an email that residents would receive Tenant Protection Vouchers, and would continue to pay no more than 30 percent of their income for housing. The agency confirmed that the ownership of Dogwood Terrace would be transferred to a newly formed limited liability company in partnership with Georgica Green Ventures and the town housing authority. HUD has approved the transfer with conditions, including a requirement that the property remain designated as affordable housing for at least 30 years.
“This has been going on for years,” Heaphy said, referring to the building’s deteriorating condition. “We have nobody to go to. We have no legal department.”
Nick Ferris, who has lived in the complex for almost 20 years, said the need for renovations is obvious. An upstairs hallway near his unit has a noticeably uneven floor. The only upgrade in his apartment was a window replacement about 15 years ago.
Heaphy said that residents need legal guidance, but many seniors, who have fixed income, cannot afford attorneys.
Community activist Lorraine Attias said she can see the building’s poor conditions simply by walking past it.
“I’m 100 percent for anything that remodels and updates and makes it livable for people,” Attias said, also citing residents’ fears about the timing of the project. “Nobody should live in squalor, in my opinion.”
She added that although she is a senior herself and has not experienced major financial hardship, many older adults live on fixed incomes and rely on Social Security. Because of a lack of affordable housing, they often have no choice but to live in poor conditions.
“We want it in writing,” Heaphy said, referring to the promises made to residents as the renovations take place. “We want to know when we move and when we’re coming back, and we’re not getting that.”
