Letters

Our mission at East End YIMBY is to educate local East End residents on the value of community housing so that we can all do our part providing homes for our teachers, firefighters, health care workers, young professionals and seniors.

This past week, I attended civic meetings in three East End towns, where the various issues were being discussed. While the meetings in Southold were inspiring, it’s clear how much work is left to do.

The mental health crisis brought on by our rancorous political discourse, the pandemic and the recent cultural acceptance of saying “the quiet parts” out loud make clear the challenges we face in finding balance in our communities.

We know that the loud and angry are always willing to show up and speak. They have no problem insulting and intimidating town and village officials for even considering doing the “right thing” if it doesn’t meet their world view. And they have the right to do that.

What’s needed is for thoughtful and rational people — the roughly 60 percent of East Enders who voted for the passage of the Community Housing Fund last November — to also show up to share their stories and views on how our communities can evolve to include all stakeholders.

I know it’s hard sometimes and have the scars to prove it from the five-plus years that East End YIMBY has been in existence. But every time we do it, we go home knowing we’ve done our part to help bring balance to our community and have contributed toward “making a place” for those who so desperately need one. You can too.

Then, we need the media to give our voices equal time.

Michael Daly

East End YIMBY

Sag Harbor