Fannie Aims to Boost Affordability on L.I.

Fannie Mae announced several incremental initiatives to finance affordable housing on Long Island.

One strategy is to allow homeowners to use rental income on apartments attached to their homes to qualify for a mortgage. Fannie Mae already counts rent on the second unit of an owner-occupied, two-unit house. The change will eliminate a fine distinction and allow more people to qualify.

The agency also will work with a Long Island business group to design a program of assistance from employers.

Home prices in affluent Nassau and Suffolk counties are high, and low- and moderate-income families find it difficult to afford a home, said Naomi Bayer, director of Fannie Mae's New York Partnership office.

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