The East Hampton Housing Authority plans to build 50 affordable rental apartments for working professionals in Wainscott – the latest push to create affordable housing in the East End.
Earlier this month, the city transferred two undeveloped wooded lots — a total of 6.5 acres of land — to its housing authority. The authority will work with a developer to build and manage the new complex south of Route 114.
The project is the city’s second for middle-income residents, who earn up to 130% of the area median income. The 26-unit Springs Fireplace Apartments, built in 2008, was the first, officials said.
“We could build 10 more of these and have 100 percent occupancy,” said Catherine Casey, executive director of the housing authority.
Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said the town needs to expand rental supply to support “working families who are the backbone of East Hampton,” as well as seniors and young people.
East Hampton paid a total of $1.8 million for the properties in 2019 and 2020.
In 2022, the city launched the All Hands on Housing initiative to address what authorities called an acute housing crisis. Peter Van Scoyoc, then-city councilman, called the housing problem one of the “most serious and immediate threats to the well-being and sustainability of our community.”
The Housing Authority recently built a 50-unit affordable housing complex on Three Mile Harbor Road, The Green at Gardiner’s Point, which is scheduled to open in a few weeks. The income limit is 60% of the area median income, which is less than what was planned for Wainscott.
Rent is $1,500 for a one-bedroom apartment, $1,784 for a two-bedroom apartment, and $2,045 for a three-bedroom apartment.
When a housing lottery was held earlier this month, demand for spaces at The Green at Gardiner’s Point was high, with a total of 543 potential tenants applying for 41 apartments, officials said.
Last week, state officials recognized East Hampton as the first certified housing community in Suffolk County. The certification will allow the town to access a portion of up to $650 million in economic development funds.
Nearly 38% of renters in East Hampton Town pay more than $3,000 a month, more than double the 16% in Suffolk County, according to U.S. Census data. The median sales price in the Hamptons hit a new high of nearly $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2024, up 30.8% from the same figure a year ago, Newsday reported.
To increase the supply of affordable housing, East Hampton voters approved a 0.5% tax on most real estate transactions in 2022 to fund affordable housing initiatives.
Casey said the next step on the Wainscott property is to review the land zoning and determine where buildings can be constructed. Site work and architectural design could take 12 to 18 months, she said.
Bryony Freij, a commissioner on the housing authority’s board, said the transfer would make it easier to “create the kind of housing that we believe is so important in our community.”
The high rents are putting a strain on families in the East End, says Freij, who works as a psychotherapist and social worker.
“It’s heartbreaking to see this,” she said. “And these are people we rely on to keep everything running smoothly out here.”
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as editor of two local newspapers on the North Fork.
