Ideas for What to Do with Hamptons Affordable Housing Funds

This past November, the local authorities passed a law requiring that a tax of 1/4% be charged on all real estate transactions over $400,000. Funds raised would be used to build affordable housing. Since estates are being sold for $45 million here and $75 million there, the money going into this building fund is rapidly increasing into the millions.

Initially, Southampton, Southold and East Hampton Towns voted to participate. But Shelter Island rejected it. After officials there realized this was just a huge gift of money without any strings attached, which could just pile up unspent without further regulation, they decided to have a revote because, as it was said, some people missed the point in the initial vote. In the revote, after more people were found to vote yes, the measure was passed by 934 to 919. So there.

Since that time, every single plan to set up affordable housing rules in our towns has been shot down. Opponents who want them somewhere else but not near them filed lawsuit after lawsuit. Judges issued injunctions. Proposed rules were withdrawn and in one case, after a lot of shouting, a mayor was accused of proposing changes in local laws after talking to a developer who hoped these changes would happen so he could have some affordable housing built.

Soon this money will pile up to the sky. And after time goes by and everything continues to be hamstrung, another way will be found to spend it. I propose the money be spent to ease traffic on the Montauk Highway by double-decking it all the way from Westhampton to the Montauk Lighthouse.