Dan's Papers - March 28, 2008 - Woodsman Spare That House, We'll Take It!

After years of sitting back, now is the time to address the longstanding issue of affordable housing in Southampton, said Bonnie Cannon, a member of the Village's Board of Trustees. "The question is, how quickly can we put a stake in the affordable housing crisis?"

Cannon has proposed an affordable housing fund that has the potential for myriad applications, including down payment assistance for first-time homeowners, building housing on Village-owned property and educating the public about affordable housing. Though her plan is not set in stone, she wants to get the financial ball rolling while the Village brings together a Housing Advisory Committee to help finalize the goals of the fund. "Everyone is trying to figure out what to do for affordable housing," Cannon said. "The one constant is that to do anything, you need money. Instead of waiting around for something to happen, we want to start collecting now...Sometimes you just have to jump. You just have to sink or swim."

Money supporting the fund will come from donations and grant money, Cannon explained, stressing that taxpayers' money won't be touched. She also emphasized that people aren't going to be given handouts. "We're just assisting local residents," she said. "When they sell those homes, part of the proceeds will go back into the fund."

Cannon hopes to eventually bring affordable housing to Village-owned property, either by raising the money to construct new homes or to relocate houses slated for demolition elsewhere in the Village.

Education is also a key component to her plan. "We have to educate people," she said. "It's not just an issue of making houses affordable, but making sure qualified candidates get those houses." Through the fund, Cannon hopes to dispense information to residents about everything from mortgages to the importance of having good credit.

Cannon also would like to educate the public about the people who need affordable housing, saying residents often have misconceptions. "These are our teachers, our doctors, our nurses, our firemen and our volunteers who need this housing," she said. "If we don't have them here, it's a problem. People forget that. They think of a certain set of people when they think of affordable housing. But it's really a wide range of people. Residents need a different outlook."

A year-and-a-half ago, when the Village tried to build affordable housing on a piece of property on Bailey Road, which was given to the Village by Suffolk County for that purpose, many residents spoke out against the plan and the homes were never built. "A lot of people were against it, but not many said anything for it," Cannon said. "It's hard to move forward when you don't have support."

Though Cannon says Mayor Mark Epley and the other Trustees have so far been very supportive of an affordable housing fund, too many questions prevail, said Trustee William Bates. "What area is it going to cover? Where's the money going to come from? Who will it benefit? Who is eligible? Where do you put lower cost housing?" he asked. "It's all very complex."

Bates commends Cannon on bringing the issue to the forefront, but said more planning needs to go into the fund before any money can be collected. "The idea isn't going to get anywhere without a great deal more thought. Otherwise it's just an idea. There has to be a plan. We need a plan...People aren't going to contribute until they know what they're contributing to."

At a time when the Village is reconsidering its master plan and is actively seeking a consultant to assist with revamping the central Village area, affordable housing is just one piece of the puzzle to consider. "We're seeking to develop a plan for the future of the central Village and I feel that we need to get started on the right foot," Bates said. "And the right foot is getting a large amount of public input so we can get a feeling for what people really want in our central Village......We shouldn't be leaping before we look."