Marine Veteran Becomes East Hampton Homeowner in Habitat for Humanity Milestone

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Raymond Matthew Charron is now officially an East Hampton home owner after closing on a home that Habitat for Humanity built for him in 2022.

Before moving in, Charron and his son had been living in a small basement apartment, Dan’s Papers previously reported. As part of the program he completed 300 hours of “sweat equity,” which helped pay for his own house and helped other habitat projects.

He shared his immense gratitude with the East Hampton Town board and the community during a Sept. 4 meeting. He said closing on the home was a huge milestone for his family. Days after the house closed he dropped his son off for his freshman year of college.

“At least he has a home here in East Hampton to come back to,” Charron told the town board. “This is community building, it’s keeping people here that have been here and allowing them to stay.”

The house was built by Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, with help from the town with providing land on Thomas Avenue.

In order to keep the house affordable, the town deferred the cost of the land on its own and had Charron pay the percentage that Habitat for Humanity owned. Rules were also put in place to make sure the home stays in the affordable housing program. If Charron ever sells the house, the town gets the chance to buy it back. In addition, there are many limits set on any profits from resale.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke Gonzalez congratulated him during the meeting telling him, “You’re so deserving.”

Charron’s story is a personal victory and a rare affordable housing success.