Jennifer McLeggan, a registered nurse and single mother, worked around the clock to be able to buy a home.
“It’s hard to pay rent in New York City and come up with a down payment,” said McLeggan, who lived in a small one-bedroom apartment in Jamaica, Queens, while saving for a down payment.
“It’s not easy. I had a lot of Top Ramen nights.”
Then she happened upon the colonial-style house that she purchased in Valley Stream, a Long Island suburb of about 37,000 residents that is 27.6 percent Black. McLeggan, who is Black, was attracted in part to the town’s diversity, and she looked forward to…
