By JUDY RATTNER
State and local officials joined members of Omni Housing Development, the Rockville Centre Housing Authority and residents of the Old Mill Court complex as they got a look at the complete makeover of the first two of nine 35-year-old buildings that are scheduled for renovation.
"Rockville Centre Apartments is a shining example of how affordable housing works to improve communities and people's lives, " said Deborah VanAmerongen, Commissioner of the State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR). "This is the transformation of an outdated building that was extremely costly to heat, cool and maintain as first rate affordable homes for working people. New insulation, windows and heating systems are just part of what makes this a quality, affordable place to live in an area where affordable housing is scarce. I want to thank Majority Leader Skelos, Mayor Bossart and Omni Housing for their support and hard work to make this day possible."
"We are on schedule and fully expect all 154 units to be completed by September of 2009," said Duncan Barrett, Chief Operating Officer of Omni Housing Development.
The work by Omni includes new roofs, installed new kitchens, baths and energy-efficient insulation, as well as new windows and heating systems. It is funded by a coalition of entities that include the Nassau County IDA bond, Nassau County HOME grant, the Rockville Centre Housing Authority, Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity, through WNC Associates, New York State DHCR Modernization grant, construction and permanent loans from M&T Bank. Nassau County has supported this project in Rockville Centre through the HUD CDBG program, the HUD Housing Choice Voucher program and Nassau IDA Financing and will continue with gap funding through the HUD Home Assistance Partnership Act Program.
The Rockville Centre Apartments is a unique affordable housing resource of efficiency, one, two, three and a few four-bedroom residences with 18 percent serving large families in a high cost market. The major qualification for residency is household income that is at or below 60% of the Nassau County Area Median Income.
