As 2022 commences, the East Hampton Town Board has announced that it will begin work immediately on a host of wide-ranging efforts to tackle the need for affordable housing in the town, including the launch of several new construction projects and a review of town regulations and long-term plans to lay the groundwork for future projects.
“The dramatic rise in housing costs and declining inventory of year-round rental properties is threatening to unravel the fabric of our community,” Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said in his 2022 “State of the Town” address on Tuesday. “I see the housing problem as one of the most serious and immediate threats to the well-being and sustainability of our community,” he said in announcing the “All Hands on Housing” initiative.
Each Town Board member, he said, will be working to “advance solutions to address the housing crisis as fast as possible,” focusing on “a specific aspect of this problem.”
East Hampton continues to lead Long Island in the number of affordable housing units per capita at over 600, he noted, but the town also leads Long Island with a high cost of living, and the highest poverty rate in Suffolk County.
According to the statement, Councilman David Lys will take the lead on the creation of a planned affordable housing project on 12 acres that the town has purchased at 395 Pantigo Road in East Hampton, where single family homes are envisioned.
Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez will work on affordable rental housing, including development of a project on Route 114 in Wainscott, where the town has purchased 8.5 acres and is in the process of establishing an Affordable Housing Overlay zoning district.
As liaison to the East Hampton Housing Authority, Burke-Gonzalez will coordinate with the Housing Authority on their affordable housing project on Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton. Newly elected Councilwoman Cate Rogers will take the lead on long-range planning for future affordable housing, working to identify suitable sites for new projects.
Councilwoman Sylvia Overby will work on long-term housing goals and strategies, including assessing possible town code changes to support new affordable housing efforts and revisions to the town’s Community Housing Opportunity Fund Plan, and will oversee the town Office of Housing and Community Development.
Now that New York State has adopted legislation that would allow the town to establish a 0.5 percent real estate transfer tax to fund affordable housing, pursuant to the approval of local voters, Van Scoyoc will oversee preparations for the vote as well as development of the local legislation and housing plan to be implemented after passage of the referendum.
“Housing is crucial to ensuring that we have people to police our streets, educate our youth, respond to emergencies, and provide services and continuity to our community,” said Van Scoyoc.