Letters

Since I started pushing for workforce housing in East Hampton [“Hampton Life Owner Proposes Building Affordable Housing on East Hampton High School Grounds,” 27east.com, July 12], I’ve been asked a question over and over that is central to the idea: Who is actually going to get these units?

Given the history of similar projects here, I understand the reason. There have been times when projects projected to take care of essential workers, health care and education have not, in fact, gone to those people. Instead, some have ended up in the hands of people from outside East Hampton.

Here’s why that has happened.

The Town of East Hampton often has looked to the state or county for funds to help subsidize the costs of their projects. When they do, they have to open the eligibility to residents of the state, not just the town. That opens the doors to non-town residents owning/renting those units.

There is also the question of satisfying the minimum and maximum income requirements that any state or federally funded project requires. The issue for many deserving local residents is that they make too much and exceed the maximum numbers. Again, that opens the doors to people from outside the area who do meet those criteria and end up getting units promised for local residents.

In our case, we are a 100 percent privately funded project. We will not take money from the state and therefore will not need to open eligibility to anyone from outside East Hampton. We also are not setting minimum or maximum income requirements for these units.

What we will do is restrict ownership to East Hampton-based businesses that will guarantee that the units bought will be used to house their workers. No second homes, no Airbnb, no summer rentals — each and every unit has to be devoted to housing a business’s workers, period.

The one exception to that rule will be projects that occur on privately owned land, where the owner may have priorities to fill before other businesses have a chance to buy. Our work with the East Hampton School District may be one. They may choose to only have units occupied by their staff. That should be decided by early fall, and we will, of course, respect their decision.

Even so, working with the town, we will be able to deliver one-to-six-bedroom townhouse units starting at $375,000, well below the cost of any housing currently available in East Hampton.

I look forward to getting to work. And I look forward to answering any questions you may have — please contact me if you do.

Kirby Marcantonio

Montauk