If we had to pick one Long Island community where garage conversions make the most physical and financial sense, it would be Dix Hills. Half-acre-plus lots. Two- and three-car garages. Multigenerational families in the Half Hollow Hills school district who want parents close by. And — the part many Dix Hills homeowners don't realize — Town of Huntington jurisdiction, which means the same Accessory Apartment Bureau process and the same $125,000 Plus One grant eligibility as Huntington village.
Program status — verified September 2026
Plus One ADU is a New York State program (an $85 million allocation through the Housing Trust Fund Corporation) but it is run town by town, and each town's intake opens and closes on its own schedule. As of September 2026 on Long Island: Huntington and Riverhead are accepting applications; Brookhaven, Islip and Southold are closed. Babylon, East Hampton, Shelter Island and Southampton run their programs through Community Development Long Island rather than the Long Island Housing Partnership.
The $125,000 is a cap, not an amount every applicant receives, and it is awarded as a grant. Huntington's published guidelines cap household income at 100% of Nassau/Suffolk area median income (2023 HUD limits: $109,400 for a one-person household, $156,300 for four) and require that you have owned and lived in the home for at least one year. Applications go on a first-come waitlist and are then re-ranked on priority points, including whether the unit will be affordable at or below 80% AMI and whether it can be permitted without a zoning variance. Municipal code always overrides the program guidelines. Verify your town's status before you budget around a grant: LIHP (631) 435-4710. We also check it for you on the walkthrough — see our Plus One ADU grant page for the eligibility checklist and what the build costs if your town's round is closed.
Why Dix Hills Garages Are Ideal Conversion Candidates
- Size. A typical Dix Hills two-and-a-half or three-car garage is 600–750+ square feet — enough for a genuine one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen, not a cramped studio.
- Setbacks that cooperate. Large lots mean the parking and setback requirements that complicate conversions on smaller properties are rarely a problem here.
- Private entrances come naturally. Side-entry garages and deep driveways make it easy to give the unit its own entrance and parking without touching the main house's curb appeal.
- The homes carry the appraisal. On $800K–$1.2M+ properties, a legal accessory apartment adds outsized appraised value — far more than the build cost.
The In-Law Suite Math That Drives Dix Hills Conversions
Most Dix Hills conversions we see aren't investment plays — they're family decisions. Assisted living on Long Island runs $72,000–$120,000 per year. A one-time garage conversion at $60,000–$110,000 creates a private, ground-floor suite where a parent lives independently, twenty feet from the kitchen instead of twenty minutes away. It pays for itself against a single year of facility costs, and unlike that year, you keep the asset. We broke down the full comparison here.
Rules and Process (Town of Huntington)
Dix Hills falls under the Town of Huntington, so conversions go through the town's established Accessory Apartment Bureau: owner-occupancy required, one accessory unit per property, full building-code conversion (insulation, egress, kitchen, bath, smoke/CO), parking review, and a certificate of occupancy at the end. Construction typically takes 8–12 weeks once approvals are in.
Because it's Town of Huntington, Dix Hills homeowners can also apply for the Plus One ADU grant — up to $125,000, forgivable — which can cover the entire conversion in exchange for renting at affordable rates for the forgiveness period. Grant details here.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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This guide is written by the crew that does the work. See Alec's ADUs service — accessory apartments, garage conversions and grant paperwork. Licensed and insured on Long Island, one crew start to finish, free walkthrough and a written estimate inside 48 hours.
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Also Serving Dix Hills
- Kitchen Remodeling in Dix Hills — cabinets, counters and layout
- Roofing in Dix Hills — tear-offs, repairs and storm damage
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