Don't Wait

Tackling the South Fork’s housing crisis calls for bold, immediate action before the problem spirals out of control. Unfortunately, government response is, more often than not, lackluster.

When building projects come along to provide affordable housing, governing bodies and land use boards demand fewer units than the developers want — when they should be searching for ways to yield more. Some municipalities have adopted accessory apartment laws to enable the creation of more legal housing, though the rules are so strict that few homeowners are willing or able to get on board.

The Community Housing Fund, which is on the ballot next month, will, if approved, infuse cash into creating affordable housing opportunities. But if the region’s zoning restrictions and accessory apartment qualifications remain as they are, that cash won’t go very far in the areas where it can make an immediate impact.

Affordable housing developments all take five years, at a minimum, from inception to move-in day, and other opportunities for affordable housing hinge on hooking up to sewage treatment plants that are still many years off. Among housing solutions, accessory apartments are the low-hanging fruit, and villages and towns should be doing everything they can right now to encourage them.

It’s heartening that East Hampton Town officials are now considering reducing the required lot size to have an accessory unit and expanding the allowable size of those apartments, among other ways to make it easier for homeowners to participate in alleviating the crisis. Likewise, the Sag Harbor Village Board adopted a package of measures in June to make in easier to develop affordable housing.

The CHF, as necessary as it is to confront the East End’s housing and staffing problems, is not a fait accompli in either South Fork town. East Hampton Town and Sag Harbor lawmakers are smart to act now rather than take a wait-and-see approach. Those who are waiting to enact solutions while inflation is rampant and financing is becoming more expensive daily are making a costly error — in terms of both dollars and the ability to manage the problem. And if the CHF fails to win over voters, they certainly will wish they had done more sooner.

Other towns and villages should follow the lead of East Hampton Town and Sag Harbor Village and pick the low-hanging fruit. They can’t afford to hesitate.