YouthBuild rehabs Riverside house

The Town of Southampton Housing Authority has teamed up with YouthBuild Long Island to refurbish a Riverside house as part of an affordable housing renewal project.

The house, located at 203 Ludlam Ave., is owned by the Town of Southampton under Suffolk County’s 72-H program, which takes abandoned properties and transfers them over to townships for their affordable housing programs.

A division of United Way LI, YouthBuild Long Island is an educational program and alternative school for those 18 to 24 years old in low-income families who are looking to learn a trade associated with construction.

The federally funded program works with local builders and town officials renovating homes for affordable housing, and focuses much of its student training on new “green” technologies to make participants more marketable in the workplace.

The project also incorporates “universal design” technologies, which focus on comfort — for example, raising the height of electrical outlets and widening doorways — and sustainability.

The project should begin in two weeks. Most retrofit jobs take about 90 days to complete, said Rick Wertheim, senior vice president of Housing and Green Initiatives for United Way LI.

The home will become part of the town’s affordable housing program after the work is completed.

Councilwoman Bridget Fleming spearheaded the town’s involvement with YouthBuild.