Southampton Law Seeks To Address Affordable Housing Need
By Jill Ryan Nov. 28, 2018
Nearly 1,500 homeowners in Southampton may soon be able to rent out rooms with accessory apartment permits, with the units being subject to rent control for the first time.
Southampton Town’s current code says owners can charge whatever they want for rent and they must have at least three-quarters of an acre of land. Proposed legislation would let homeowners with half an acre become landlords.
The town’s director of Housing and Community Development, Diana Weir, said the legislation would address the town’s apartment shortage.
“The traffic is horrendous, anybody who works here and doesn’t live here has to deal with that every single day. And it is because there is no place to live. At a certain income level, you’re just cut out of the process and not able to afford a home. The town board and the supervisor, especially, was looking for creative ways and more possibilities to create and sustain more housing in the area.”
Weir said under the proposal homeowners would have to charge fair market rents of $1,525 a month for a one-bedroom. That’s compared to two-bedroom condos that cost around $10,000 a month.
A public hearing is set for late December.
