Dreams Derailed At Botched Affordable Housing Lottery Redo

GREENPORT, NY — Dreams faded for some at the redo Tuesday of a botched affordable housing lottery in Greenport: Some who were picked the first time, and others, who were inadvertently not entered into the first go-round, were ultimately not chosen.

Many who were not chosen felt it wasn't fair that the lottery was opened up to new applicants, effectively slashing their chances to be picked a second time.

The lottery was for the Vineyard View housing community, with 50 affordable rental units located at 6200 North Road in Greenport; the project is a joint effort between both Conifer Realty LLC and the Community Development Corporation of Long Island.

Michelle Salmon, an EMT and firefighter with the Southold Fire Department, was one of those not included in the first drawing — and who was not chosen during the new lottery.

"I was called number 265 and I think it was very unfair that they opened the lottery up after the ones that applied got their applications in by the first deadline," she said. "It is also very disappointing that people who grew up here can't even get a place to live in their hometown and raise their children in the community they grew up in."

Kara DiBella, whose name was chosen in the first drawing, has said the stakes, for her and her two small children, were high: Right now, they live in a single room in Wheatley Heights with no kitchen.

"I listened and heard over 100 names called and couldn't take it anymore. I was in tears, crying as my last chance at a better place for my kids slipped away," she said. "I'm a dreamer. I actually believed I had a chance at a better life — when in reality these things never work out for American families."

DiBella, who is on disability, is looking for an apartment for $1,200 a month but has unable to find one. "I can't afford $1,500 for an apartment," she said. "All I can do now is pick myself and move forward from this fiasco. And just keeping doing the next right thing, so that maybe I'll get my break at a real apartment where we can have a Christmas tree and eat dinners at a table. I can't let them steal my happiness anymore. This chapter is closed. I have no idea what number I am in this new lottery but I'm sure it will never get to me."

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell also spoke on the snafu: "People should be furious regarding incompetent handling of the lottery by Conifer and CDCLI," he said.

Those organizing the effort came forward recently to apologize to applicants and the Southold town board for the confusion.

An "accidental administrative error" left a number of applicants out of the first drawing— and those who were chosen were left wondering if they'd see their chance of finding a home within their means lost forever as the initial results were rendered void. After the initial mix-up, a redo scheduled was also postponed.

The new date, according to Conifer, took place on Tuesday and was viewed live on Conifer Realty's Facebook page.

"Thank you for your patience and understanding in recent weeks as we've made adjustments to our lottery process for Vineyard View Apartments based on community feedback," Conifer said in a message on its website. "At Conifer, we fully recognize and respect the challenges involved with securing high-quality, affordable housing, and are deeply sorry for any added stress or frustrations experienced as a result of these changes."

The application submission period was reopened. All prior lottery applicants who previously submitted their applications directly to Vineyard View were automatically eligible and included in the rescheduled lottery, Conifer said.

The lottery, Conifer said, established the required sequence in which applicants will be processed for program eligibility, potential occupancy and affordable housing income for Vineyard View. All submitted applications were drawn in the lottery to establish the sequence for occupancy processing and waitlist.

"In the event we initially fill Vineyard View to full occupancy before reaching an individual's application, the applicant automatically retains his or her position on our waitlist for future apartment availability," Conifer said.

The news of the "accidental administrative error" left many applicants deeply upset, some who had been left out of the initial drawing.

Amenities at Vineyard View include a clubhouse featuring a great room, a fitness center, laundry room and playground.

One bedroom units are priced from $1,056 to $1,289 per month; two-bedroom units, from $1,266 to $1,544 per month; and three bedroom units, from $1,461 to $1,784 per month.