County Transfers Properties To Southampton Town For Affordable Housing

Southampton - Suffolk Executive Steve Levy has enacted legislation that will provide property for much needed affordable housing on the county's East End.

Under Levy's latest initiative, Suffolk County will transfer 7.92 acres of land to the town of Southampton for affordable housing purposes through the county's widely used 72-h program. The majority of the land being provided to the town is located in Sag Harbor - a 4.6-acre parcel on Stony Hill Road. The second is a three-acre parcel on Middle Line Highway in Noyac. These two parcels will likely be either subdivided or provided as affordable co-ops for families; County officials will be meeting with Southampton to discuss the future of these two parcels.

The third parcel, a .32-acre piece of property, is located on Flanders Boulevard in Riverhead (within the town of Southampton). Once received by the town, these properties will be conveyed to a not-for-profit agency to provide what they deem to be the best type of affordable housing for that property.

These properties could have been sold through the county's auction process, but were deemed to be better suited for affordable housing purposes, and transferred to the town of Southampton through Suffolk's 72-h program.

"The economy has hit our region hard," Levy asserted. "When the county takes a home for failure to pay property taxes, the land is ultimately auctioned. Often those purchasing these homes have no plans to plant roots in the community. As a result, a lack of upkeep can begin to plague a neighborhood. By providing these properties at an affordable rate to individuals and families who are looking to plant roots in the town of Southampton, we are instilling a sense of community pride within the neighborhood while also protecting future generations from being forced off of Long Island."

"If government is going to take a person's home for failure to pay taxes, it ought to serve a purpose higher than the auction block," Southampton Town Supervisor Linda Kabot asserted in agreement. "A 72-h transfer puts a silver lining in an otherwise tragic situation by creating housing opportunities for those who need them most. The Town is very pleased to have a partnership like this with Suffolk County. It helps meet a critical community need which we continue to make a priority."

The 72-h program allows the County to transfer properties it acquires throughout Suffolk to other municipalities - such as towns and villages - to be used for affordable housing purposes. Levy has used the 72-h program extensively throughout his administration to provide affordable housing to the young and working families in Suffolk County, most notably in the North Bellport and East Patchogue communities where more than 70 properties were removed from the auction block last year and are being transferred to the town for affordable housing purposes. Under the Suffolk County Tax Act, when taxes are not paid by property owners, it is the county that pays all other municipalities the monies owed and ultimately takes title to the property. The 72-h provision of New York State General Municipal Law allows the county to transfer property to another municipality for certain purposes.

"The 72-h process allows us to address the dire need for affordable housing one property at a time," Levy noted.