A Very Local Crisis

The East Hampton Town Board and Planning Department are doing their best to make it easier for residents to construct affordable rental apartments throughout the town — and they deserve widespread support.

New legislation, in the works for months now, reduces the lot size needed to build an affordable, detached accessory apartment, from three-quarters of an acre to a half acre, a move that would significantly expand the number of homeowners who could qualify for the program.

The proposed legislation also doubles the number of apartments allowed under the program, from 20 to 40, in each of the town’s five school districts. While critics may fear that schools will be overwhelmed with more students, the reality is that since the original law was enacted decades ago to boost affordable apartments throughout the town, just 48 have been built to date. And population in many districts is falling, not increasing.

Lastly, it would expand the allowed square footage in attached units to as much as 1,200 square feet — detached units must remain at 600 square feet — and allows for the construction of as many as two bedrooms. That recognizes that families will benefit, not just individuals or couples.

The reality for those trying to make a living on the South Fork is stark, and one only needs to comb local real estate rental listings to quickly understand why a future in East Hampton feels increasingly out of reach for most, with rental prices climbing above $4,000 to $6,000 a month even for a small home in Springs.

This measured expansion of affordable accessory apartments would allow more people with the means to construct these units and either rent them through the town’s housing office or to an immediate family member. Accessory apartments may be one way that multigenerational families can support each other — where parents can offer their children an apartment in their hometown, and children can offer seniors a reasonable rental to enjoy their retirement in East Hampton.

If adopted, the next critical step — one already identified by the Planning Department and the Town Board — is to offer incentives for the construction of these units. Construction of an accessory apartment can be an investment of more than $100,000. To help solve a very local crisis, we must make it financially possible. Both steps are essential, and credit goes to the town for taking real action on a path forward.