NEW YORK (AP) — A novel endeavor to make flooded homes habitable after Superstorm Sandy is wrapping up after repairs to more than 20,000 houses and apartments, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday.

As officials faced the challenge of housing thousands of displaced people in a densely built and expensive city, they decided to experiment and spend about $500 million sending workers to install boilers, replace electrical panels and make other basic fixes for free so residents could return.