Two Families Receive Keys to Affordable Homes in Riverside

Two families achieved the American dream when they received the keys to their brand new affordable homes in Riverside on Monday during a dedication ceremony hosted by the developers of the ranch-style houses, Habitat for Humanity of Long Island and the Town of Southampton Housing Authority.

Side by side on Old Quogue Road, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes are the first two to be completed of nine affordable houses planned for Riverside. Each will offer a homeownership opportunity, with covenants in place to ensure they remain in the affordable housing stock for perpetuity.

Amanda and Christopher Hoyos are the new owners of the northernmost house, and soon the house will have a third resident — they are expecting a baby, due October 5.

She is a nail technician at a spa in Speonk, the hamlet where she grew up. She graduated from Westhampton Beach High School in 2007, and he graduated the same year from Center Moriches High School. He previously worked for the IRS, commuting to Holtsville, but recently joined Northwell Health’s human resources department at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.

“Once I found out about this opportunity with Habitat, I was making moves to find something, work-wise, closer to here,” he said. “I feel blessed to even have a house here and have a job close to my house.”

The Hoyoses have been living with his parents in Center Moriches. They applied in the fall of 2021 for the affordable housing opportunity and learned they had been selected early in 2022. Construction began that March — and they helped, putting in the required 300 hours of “sweat equity” that Habitat for Humanity asks of those it provides affordable housing to.

“It’s crazy to be in this next chapter — just moving on to the next stage of adulthood and being homeowners,” he said.

The second house is the new home of Sahlise Cherry and her children, Jason Hopson, 27, and Jamiya Hopson, 13. The family has been living in Bridgehampton, and Cherry works for East End Disability Associates, managing a house in East Hampton.

“It’s an amazing experience, and we’re very happy,” Cherry said. “It’s like a dream come true that I’ve wanted for a long time.”

Prior to the new homeowners receiving their keys, Habitat for Humanity, contributors to the project and local officials celebrated the occasion.

“I’m reminded of an African proverb that says, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’” remarked Jimmy Jack, the new CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Long Island. “And really, it’s the same thing here. It takes a village to build a home, a home of hope, and that village is us.”

Curtis Highsmith, the executive director of the Town of Southampton Housing Authority, recalled that when the town obtained the parcels where the new houses now stand, an abandoned house and abandoned foundation were there.

“I’m excited to see the end result,” he said. “These days never get old.”

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said, having banged a few nails himself on the build site, he found it really gratifying to see the houses ready for families to move into. He noted that the town waived permit fees for the homes in addition to contributing the land, which the town had received from Suffolk County.

The county’s Department of Economic Development and Planning gave the properties to the town under its 72-h transfer program, which takes properties seized for delinquent taxes and gives them to municipalities for the development of affordable housing.

“A lot of people are talking about affordable housing,” Schneiderman said. “Talk, talk, talk. Talk is cheap, right? We’re actually doing something about it. We’re making it happen, from banging the nails, to putting these homes up, to getting people to move in. It’s great to see actually something being done, because this is a crisis like we’ve never seen before, and our communities cannot sustain themselves without the very people we need to drive our ambulances or take care of patients at the hospital or teach our children.”

Town Board member Cyndi McNamara praised Habitat for Humanity for what the organization does and offered a correction: “It takes a town.”

Southampton architect Ryan Kesner, who designed the two homes and others that are in progress, said he agreed without hesitation to take on the project when Highsmith approached him three years ago. “I hope the new homeowners enjoy the homes as much as I enjoyed designing them,” he said.

The houses are served by FujiClean innovative/alternative septic systems, the cost of which is being completely reimbursed by the Southampton Town Community Preservation Fund, which is partly dedicated to protecting water quality.

Riverhead Building Supply, Island Outreach Foundation, and the Electrical Training Center are among the other contributors to the project.