Organizers On Affordable Lottery Snafu: 'We Sincerely Apologize'

GREENPORT, NY — After a botched affordable housing lottery in Greenport, and then, a cancellation of the scheduled redo, those organizing the effort came forward Tuesday to apologize to applicants and the Southold town board.

Sam Leone, executive vice president, and Robert Lampher, executive vice president of portfolio management for Conifer Realty LLC, as well as Gwen O'Shea, president and CEO of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, came before the board Tuesday both in person and via Zoom to discuss the snafu.

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 and the CDC.

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 for last Thursday was postponed with no new date yet given.

"I want to speak for all of us," Leone said, adding that what had transpired was "very frustrating for everyone." The lottery was more challenging than others because it was virtual and not an in-person drawing; the typical single stream mail in process went to multiple stream, he said.

The bottom line? A packet of at least 50 applications that was sent in for the lottery was not put into the drum for the drawing, Lampher said.

"We sincerely apologize. We are deeply regretful for the initial error that led to the need to redo the lottery," he said. "We own that entirely. It was nothing more than administrative misplacement."

Once the error was discovered, he said, an investigation commenced and Conifer reached out to stakeholders, state agencies, and the town to inform everyone and develop a remediation plan.

"There are a lot of people whose names were picked out that can't understand how we got here," Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said. Those picked were told the lottery was void and then, that the redo had been postponed — and now, are being told that the pool is being opened up to new applicants, essentially cutting their chance in half, he said.

"This is absolutely inexcusable," he said.

Russell added that the project was not part of the town's affordable house program and did not require a change of zone from the town. He said that while the town was grateful that the developers had worked to provide affordable housing, "This has been very, very disappointing."

He asked when the new date of the lottery would be. Russell noted that due to coronavirus, many people's situations may have changed, with many not earning what they were a few months ago.

Lampher said that date would be released in the next couple of days; a plan had been to state agencies that needs to be approved. An announcement will be sent to all applicants with details regarding the process and new lottery date; all individuals who have already submitted applications will be included, he said.

The decision not to hold the redo lottery was made, he said, after receiving community feedback; some were concerned that there had not been a clear understanding by some, including those with language barriers, of how to submit applications.

"We feel very strongly that nothing was done incorrectly with the original process but there could be some improvement, based on community feedback," Lampher said. "So we decided to reopen the application pool for a short period of time."

Southold Town Councilman Bob Ghosio said if he were one of the individuals who'd met the original deadline, he might not be happy to hear that new people were being added to the lottery. "The odds would be even greater against me, to be selected again," he said. "I don't think that's quite fair."

Councilwoman Sarah Nappa agreed. "To add more to this number, this is just 50 units. How do we go forward and have the public understand?"

Lampher said the decision was not one that was reached lightly — but it was the responsible one. A decision he said came after working with state agencies to "address the community perception that lottery may not have included everyone that it should have."

Russell still said many will find themselves at a disadvantage.

"The reality is, if you get twice as many applications, you just cut someone's chances in half," Russell said. Some applied but were not put in the lottery, others may not have been able to speak the language and did not know how to apply, and others who were picked in the first go-round may now have seen their chances diminished. "It's a no-win situation," he said. "Either way, it's unfair to someone."

Councilman Jim Dinizio agreed. "It's a very bad situation," he said. He asked Conifer to come up with bullet points to explain to applicants what steps are being taken and what the lottery process will be.

Also, Russell reminded, just because a name was called the first time, it does not mean that person automatically gets an apartment; it means they will be subject to a vetting process.

Lampher said once an applicant's number is chosen, the number they receive is their number in the sequencing status for vetting; not all may qualify. "Sometimes it takes 50 applications to fill the 50 units, sometimes it takes 200," he said.

Again, he apologized: "It truly was an administrative error," Lampher said. "A package of applications inadvertently separated from the overall lottery pool and didn't go into the bin. I hate to simplify something that has such an impact but it was truly human error."

Justice Louisa Evans said despite the problems: "We are grateful, that you have brought affordable housing to our town."

The news of the "accidental administrative error" left a number of applicants deeply upset.

Michelle Salmon, an EMT and firefighter with the Southold Fire Department, was one of those not included in the first drawing."I was really mad," she said. "I am a single mother with a son needing my own place. I am happy they are redoing it and fixing their mistake."

She added that her application had definitely been received. "They had my application," she said. "I sent it certified return receipt so they had to sign for it. My name wasn't even put into the container — and I know of at least 12 people who are in the same boat," she said.

Kara DiBella, whose name was chosen in the first drawing, was devastated by the news of a do-over. The stakes, for her and her two small children, is high: Right now, they live in a single room with no kitchen.

"I feel robbed," she said. "I got excited. I was Number 7. I'm more then a lottery number. I'm a family. And they don't care."

DiBella, who lives in Wheatley Heights and is on disability, said she has worked hard for the past three years, completing family court and striving to remain sober since 2017.

"I honestly believed that if I kept doing the next right thing, kept sober, kept living a good life I would get a chance at something good," she said.

When her name was called in the lottery, DiBella said: "I was shaking in disbelief, crying. So excited to give my kids an opportunity to have a bedroom. A meal cooked in a kitchen. And now I'm sick to my stomach."

All she wants, DiBella said, is to give her children a home, bedrooms of their own. "A cooked meal and a table to sit and eat," she said. "All I wanted was an apartment. And I won — lucky number 7. But now it's taken from us. I feel so defeated."

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.