Hanley to chair Housing Board: Community forum Saturday on affordable housing

Elizabeth Hanley, who has been chairperson of the Community Housing Fund Advisory Board (CHFAB), was selected by her colleagues Thursday evening to lead the Community Housing Board in the wake of the Town Board removing former chairperson Chris DiOrio.

Mr. DiOrio was removed after allegations surfaced that he had removed signs calling for a “no” vote on the Nov. 8 referendum, which asks voters to decide funding affordable housing through a real estate transfer tax for first-time home buyers.

Deputy Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams told members that the Town Board will ratify Ms. Hanley’s appointment at Tuesday evening’s Town Board meeting.

The Community Housing Board (CHB) met Thursday night to review plans for Saturday’s Housing Forum at Shelter Island School between 3 and 5 p.m.

The aim is to have a productive meeting, answering as many questions as possible and keeping the session “civil,” said member Bran Dougherty-Johnson.

Ms. Hanley emphasized that facilitator Mary Eisenstein — a communications specialist with Mattituck’s Melmar Enterprises — would recess the session if anyone got out of hand and failed to yield to others with questions or became argumentative. That would lead to a cooling off period, after which the effort would be to resume the session with cooler heads prevailing.

Panelists will include Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (D-Sag Harbor), who wrote the legislation that created the option to employ a Community Housing Fund; Ms. Brach-Williams; and Nelson Pope Voorhis consultant Taylor Garner, along with CHB members who will be available to respond to questions.

There was a brief discussion among CHB members about whether, after the referendum, there would continue to be two separate committees.

Ms. Brach-Williams said the CHFAB would likely be folded into the CHB, but said the Town Board hasn’t discussed the subject. The aim of the Advisory Board has been to work with consultants from Nelson Pope Voorhis to draft a housing plan that would guide how money could be spent if voters endorse using a 0.05% real estate transfer tax that would flow to the town from people purchasing property on the Island.

There was also a brief discussion of how a lottery system would work if more applicants sought housing than could be accommodated by the units that become available.

Member Peter McCracken pointed to the system used in East Hampton where all applicants would have to qualify financially. That means they would have to meet the restrictions on income set in Suffolk County, could possibly receive counseling to clean up any difficulties they may have with their finances, and then if there remained more candidates than units, a lottery would be used to determine who  gets the units.

Mr. McCracken pointed out in East Hampton, some who qualified for units dropped out, resulting in others moving up in the list.

At the CHB’s next meeting Nov. 17, members expect to focus on how to enlist landlords who would be willing to rent apartments to applicants at affordable rates.

Saturday’s forum will have in-person participation, but also can be live-streamed on YouTube. That link will also be posted to the Town website at shelterislandtown.us. It can also be watched later on Channel 22 or on the Community Housing Board section of the town website. Child care will be available at no cost at the school cafeteria throughout the meeting.