New Day Dawns For Affordable Housing In Hamptons With $33M Development

EAST HAMPTON, NY — During a time on the East End when a dearth of affordable housing options has forced many longtime residents from their communities, hope is dawning on the proverbial horizon.

On Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that construction has begun on Three Mile Harbor, a $33 million housing development slated to bring 50 energy-efficient apartments to East Hampton.

Hochul has laid out plans for affordable, equitable, and stable in the 2023 state budget, securing a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes, she said.

Plans for Three Mile Harbor include 10 one-bedroom, 29 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom apartments across five two-story residential buildings; a one-bedroom apartment will be set aside for the development's superintendent, Hochul said. A community building will include a meeting space, kitchenette, broadband Wi-Fi hotspot available to all residents, laundry facilities, and a generator in the event of power outages, she said. Additional amenities include a playground and community patio.

Five of the units will be accessible and adapted for individuals with mobility impairments and three of the units will be equipped for persons with hearing and/or visual impairments, Hochul said.

Apartments at Three Mile Harbor will be affordable to households earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income, with eight of the apartments serving households at 30 percent of the AMI. Homes and Community Renewal will provide housing choice vouchers for eight apartments.

In addition, Three Mile Harbor will be green certified under Enterprise Green Communities Criteria 2020 and Energy Star Certified Homes V 3.1, with the development utilizing Energy Star appliances, electric heat pump heating and hybrid electric hot water heaters, Hochul said. Water conservation and energy efficiency strategies will also be utilized.

Designs complement the "aesthetic of East Hampton and the natural vegetation and qualities of the surrounding area," a release said.

Three Mile Harbor is being developed by Georgica Green Ventures, LLC and the East Hampton Housing Authority.

State financing for Three Mile Harbor includes low-income housing tax credits that will generate $18 million in equity, $3.4 million from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal's Housing Trust Fund, and $350,000 from the Federal Housing Trust Fund; Suffolk County provided $2.2 million in subsidies, Hochul said.

During the last decade, HCR has invested over $200 million in Suffolk County, resulting in the creation or preservation of 1,853 affordable homes, including Gansett Meadows, also in East Hampton, Hochul said. Gansett Meadows provides 37 homes for working families.

Riverview Lofts in Riverhead provides 116 affordable apartments and 12,000 square feet of commercial space in an environmentally sustainable building resilient to flooding and severe weather, Hochul said.

"My administration remains steadfast in our commitment to creating affordable housing for all New Yorkers that is high-quality and sustainable," Hochul said.

New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo said, serving as an assemblyman and now, in his current post, he has "worked tirelessly to expand affordable housing to the East End of Long Island. The Three Mile Harbor Apartments will provide urgently needed affordable living options for area residents and help reduce traffic congestion on our highways."

New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele agreed the 50-unit new construction project will help to address the affordable housing crisis in the region. "This crisis has also exacerbated other East End issues such as traffic congestion and the recruitment and retention of fire and emergency service volunteers," he said.

And, said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone: "Here on Long Island we are facing a housing crisis like never before. Home and rental prices are at record highs and the resulting shortage of affordable housing restricts economic growth and mobility in our region. The new Three Mile Harbor affordable housing development in East Hampton will provide opportunities to families, seniors and vulnerable individuals to live in a place they will be able to call home."

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc applauded the project. "Safe, year-round housing that is accessible to our community members is crucial to ensure a healthy diversity in East Hampton, and to maintain the fabric of our community. As I have stated, we need an 'all hands on' effort to address this critical need."

Georgica Green Ventures LLC President David Gallo has worked for years to provide affordable housing options on the East End. "Three Mile Harbor will be a transformative project for the Town of East Hampton. . .This project serves as a model for how state and local agencies, coupled with the private sector, can work together to address the need for affordable housing by undertaking a thoughtful approach that considers sustainability, transit access and community resources," he said.