New York affordable housing fight ends with $98m community and 145 homes
A decades-long legal battle over affordable housing in Huntington, New York, has concluded with the completion of the Matinecock Court development. The project, which originated in 1978, provides 145 cooperative homes and serves as a landmark example of fair housing litigation.
Why it matters
This project represents a significant victory for fair housing advocates and illustrates the extreme length of time required to overcome exclusionary zoning through the judicial system.
A proposal that began as a fight for affordable housing in a Long Island community in 1978 has finally resulted in 145 affordable homes. Matinecock Court, a nearly $98 million affordable housing development in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, was completed in 2026 after decades of legal and political obstacles. The development's origins are closely tied to Housing Help Inc. and the Huntington Branch of the NAACP, which challenged Huntington's restrictions on multifamily housing. The dispute eventually became a landmark Fair Housing Act case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the project's completion on September 2, 2026, describing it as the culmination of a decades-long effort. According to the New York Governor’s Office announcement, the project now provides 145 limited-equity cooperative homes, including units for veterans and people with disabilities.
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