Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP) celebrates 25th anniversary; Attended by 500 supporters

Five hundred supporters gathered together to celebrate the Long Island Housing Partnership's (LIHP) 25th anniversary. The event - held on April 11th at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury - celebrated LIHP's 25 years of helping Long Islanders achieve the American Dream of home ownership. Shaun Donovan, U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, delivered the keynote address. Donovan's tenure as HUD secretary has reflected his commitment to making quality housing possible for every American. In Dec. 2012, President Obama created the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force and appointed secretary Donovan as chair. In his remarks secretary Donovan spoke about LIHP's achievements over the years and also described Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery efforts on L.I. as well as the importance of preparing for similar storms in the future. LIHP president Peter Elkowitz and chairman of the board Kevin Law described the numerous successes LIHP has achieved and expressed their sincere gratitude to the many individuals and companies who have been partners to that success. In the past 25 years, "LIHP has transitioned from constructing 11 homes over two years to assisting more than 25,000 individuals achieve their American Dream of home ownership," said Law. LIHP's programs have expanded significantly through the years and now include construction; providing technical assistance to municipalities, developers and not-for-profit organizations in the construction of affordable workforce housing; education and counseling (from pre-purchase to default/foreclosure counseling); down payment assistance programs; neighborhood stabilization; residential rehabilitation; and one of the largest Employer Assisted Housing Programs in the nation. "There is no finer reward than to see someone - who believed they never could own a house - take the keys to their front door and walk into their first home!" said Elkowitz. LIHP was created to address the need for and to provide affordable housing for those who are unable to afford homes, through development, technical assistance, mortgage counseling, education and lending programs. Prospective home buyers who meet maximum annual income restrictions and qualify for private mortgage financing are selected by lottery or computerized random number generating systems. Then on a first come first serve basis, if additional applicants can be accommodated.