In a process that took four hours, the names of 1,323 persons interested in purchasing units at the Club at Melville affordable senior housing development were selected in order at a July 17 lottery, allowing for the qualification process for the 260 units to proceed.
Huntington Councilwoman Susan A. Berland pulled the names of Katherine and Joseph Ingber to begin the lottery, held in the auditorium of Huntington High School, and the jubilant Ingbers went onto the stage to be part of a celebratory photo with Councilwoman Berland and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson. Supervisor Frank P. Petrone later joined Councilwoman Berland to select some of the winners, who will go onto the next step in the process of qualifying for units in the affordable over-55 community under construction on Deshon Drive.
Of the 1,323 persons who filed intake forms, 678 are current Huntington residents and will receive preference. The first 300 of those names will be sent packets seeking detailed financial information to determine their qualifications. The remaining persons on the list will be sent qualification forms if units remain to be awarded. The Huntington Community Development Agency, which administered the lottery, is also processing the qualification forms.
The units will be sold in three categories, based on income, in accordance with the requirements of Town Code. The income levels and the sales price for each category are: 80 percent of median income (sales price $211,750; maximum income for a two-person household is $67,800); 120 percent of the median income (sale price $317,750; maximum income for a two-person household is $101,650); and 130 percent of median income (sale price $385,000; maximum income for a two-person household is $120,281). Persons who do not meet the income criteria were allowed to participate in the lottery; they may be offered the opportunity to purchase one of the $385,000 units if any are available after offers are made to those who do meet the criteria.
Persons who were not able to attend the lottery can find their rankings here