Abandoned East Patchogue Home Demolished

The Town of Brookhaven Department of Waste Management demolished an abandoned East Patchogue house on Donegan Avenue Friday to make way for an affordable housing project coming to the area.

The house, which was abandoned in 2009 due to a tax foreclosure, was deemed by The Town of Brookhaven as unsafe for occupation. A town official said this could be due to it becoming structurally unsound. The inside of the home was also vandalized with graffiti, which was visible once the house was demolished.

“The Town has acquired these properties using community development block funding; we are going to demolish these properties which have been transferred to the Long Island Housing Partnership, who will build new affordable housing for a new homeowner chosen by lottery,” said Mark Lesko, Brookhaven Town Supervisor, in a press conference held preceding the demolition.

Lesko said the Town’s Department of Housing and Human services has set aside $223,000 to demolish blighted properties. Through a process known as “72-H,” Suffolk County first takes an abandoned property and transfers it to the Town’s Department of Waste Management for demolition. The town waives demolition fees to streamline the process, and then works with the Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP) to plan, zone and build the lot.

Lesko said that this process saves money, which will allow the LIHP to sell the home to the selected homeowner at an affordable rate.

Peter Elkowitz, President and Chief Executive of the LIHP, hopes to have a new house and family in place by the end of the year. The new homeowner will receive mortgage counseling to avoid falling into a default situation.

Although the house was dilapidated and vandalized, neighbors said they did not notice the property attracting any criminal activity.

“I’ve never seen anything, they just come, clean and cut the grass,” said neighbor Veronica Ulloa.

Marvin Alston, who just moved to East Patchogue from Calverton, said that it was an eyesore but otherwise quiet.