Letters

Southampton needs a new hotel resort as much as a millionaire needs to win the lottery.

Anyone in the know, or who has a conscience, is aware of the housing crisis all over Long Island. It is particularly dire on the East End.

Solid citizens getting evicted from their homes after 35 years due to arbitrary rent hikes, or groups of immigrants living together (often in substandard dwellings) seeking a better life, are all conscious of this issue. If someone’s allowed to rent their home for over $100,000 for the month of August, even an idiot knows it’s become absurd.

Oh, years ago, it made sense for struggling homeowners to rent their homes for a month, or a summer, to help cover the mortgage payment over the winter, when work slowed down. But today? No way. Anyone able to pay these outrageous sums of money might as well purchase a home. One couple I know did just that.

What Southampton needs are tasteful apartment complexes that offer homes for the middle class and others.

As for me, the place I rented for 35 years probably didn’t even have a certificate of occupancy. I never had a lease. And, in fact, I fell down a flight of stairs in 2020 due to a stairway that was noncompliant. After I recovered from breaking almost every bone in my left leg and foot, I contacted an attorney and was awarded a small slip-and-fall settlement. Maybe that’s the reason my landlord evicted me.

Some might wonder why I moved in in the first place. At the time the property was empty and had possibilities, so I decided I’d make it a dollhouse. Also, it bordered Alewife Creek, had a dock out on the water, abundant wildlife, and an absentee landlord who lived out of state. It was like having my “own” little cottage in Southampton.

When I first moved in, many folks approached me saying, “You shouldn’t be living here — it’s probably illegal.” Even the mailman. But I paid no attention. I planned to stay the rest of my life.

Then, three or four years later, someone bought the property. I now had the unspeakable: a landlord living right next door. He not only renovated his house completely, he confiscated part of my yard and installed a high wooden fence, surrounding a gigantic patio, complete with outdoor kitchen, hot tub and shower.

Well, that’s hindsight. Now I’m homeless. I’ve been searching for an apartment for over three years.

This is why I advocate for housing, up-to-code housing, affordable housing, housing for people who need a nice, comfortable place where they can enjoy security, peace and tranquility here in this lovely town by the sea.

Dianne Moritz

Southampton