East Hampton Considering Density Bump for Senior Housing

More than 450 seniors are waiting for affordable housing in East Hampton. But developers can’t readily build them because of the town’s low-density zoning.

Now, local officials are considering an idea that could help.

East Hampton plans to propose increasing the density of development permitted on a senior housing property designated for affordable housing, 27East reported. The limit would increase to 12 units per acre, from eight.

While a 50 percent boost seems like a meaningful way to add affordable housing in the Hamptons community, in reality its impact will be modest: There are only three eligible sites in East Hampton.

All of them — Windmill Village I and II on Accabonac Road and St. Michaels in Amagansett — are managed by Windmill Housing.

The density change would allow for 52 more units across the three sites, according to the town’s director of housing, Eric Schantz. But because of limitations of the properties, 40 additional units is a more likely scenario.

Elected officials in the town support the plan, which requires public and state review. Adding density is typically unpopular with Long Islanders, although restricting new housing to senior citizens usually reduces local opposition.

The change being considered by East Hampton could inspire developers to build more affordable housing for seniors in the town, which has been slowly revamping its residential development policies.

Two years ago, the town board voted to amend the town code, increasing the amount of allowable single-family residences per acre in affordable overlay districts from two to four.

It has also moved to allow more granny flats, or accessory dwelling units, though that hasn’t led to much in the way of applications to add any, Schantz recently said, according to the East Hampton Star.

Affordable housing scarcity is an issue across the Hamptons, but the need for low-income housing for seniors is even more acute. The town has a higher percentage of seniors than the county, state and country as a whole. That percentage may grow in the future, if the aging residents can figure out somewhere to live in the East End town.

— Holden Walter-Warner