Southampton affordable housing lottery deadline extended amid debate

Only a few weeks after announcing a lottery for 65 affordable housing units, Southampton officials have extended the deadline for people to apply to the recently-built housing at Sandy Hollow Cove or Speonk Commons, 27east reported. The original deadline of July 5 has been pushed back to July 22, although the outlet did not give a reason for the extension. The move came as the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons hosted South Fork housing officials at a forum devoted to combating misconceptions associated with affordable housing, such as plummeting property values, overcrowding and congestion. “We have to change the perception,” said Curtis Highsmith Jr., executive director of the Southampton Housing Authority, citing the 37 apartments available at Speonk Commons and the 28 at Sandy Hollow Cove in Tuckahoe. “There were wood floors, marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, cedar shingles — which shocked me,” he added. “But the state… and the county would pay us extra to ensure that these programs are properly funded so that it doesn’t have a negative stigma. They ensure that it’s state-of-the-art, it’s energy-efficient, it’s handicapped-accessible.” Available units include 52 studios or one-bedroom apartments and 13 two-bedroom apartments. Most of the units are for households earning up to 60 percent of the area’s median income. [27east]