On November 8, 2022, Southampton Town voters approved a law to introduce a half-percent tax on all residential real estate transactions to fund the Peconic Bay Region Community Housing Fund, aimed at creating affordable housing in the town.
The Southampton Town website states that the affordable housing initiative aims to provide housing for essential workers, including first responders, fire/EMS workers, hospital workers, public servants, teachers and veterans. The proponents of the Community Housing Fund used this argument to urge Southampton Town residents to vote yes for its approval.
The recent wildfires that threatened the East End again highlight the critical need that our volunteer first responders provide for our community. They are our modern-day militia. Fire/EMS work is dangerous and physically challenging. It is work best done by young individuals.
These young first responders want to live in the Town of Southampton and raise families. These volunteers have made a commitment to our community and deserve our help to be able to reside in the Town of Southampton.
However, the implementation of the Community Housing Fund has failed to live up to its original promise to help our first responders to obtain suitable housing for themselves and families.
Unelected bureaucrats and the committee that manage the implementation of CHF have decided, with the apparent approval of our current town supervisor, Maria Moore, to leverage its funds with state and federal grants. These monies will be used to fund development proposals by developers for large-scale apartment developments.
The commingling of state and federal grants with CHF funds means anyone must be considered for the housing that is created. Someone from South Dakota must be included, usually by way of a lottery, in determining who will get the CHF apartment or house.
The CHF has a down payment assistance program for up to 50 percent of the purchase price of a home available to first-time homebuyers who live or work in the town. This program should be used to help funnel aid to first responders and other essential residents to help them remain in Southampton.
However, this program seems to have been put on a back burner. So far only four resident applications have been processed, with one approval for down payment grants.
Is this what we offer these brave volunteers who risk life and limb for us — a chance in a lottery? Shame on our town government. This is not what the residents were told when they voted for the approval of the Peconic Bay Regional Community Housing Fund. We voted to help those who help and protect us. We wanted them to be able to live in Southampton Town.
Ray D’Angelo
Hampton Bays
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