Suffolk volunteer first responders to be prioritized for affordable housing under newly passed bill

Suffolk County lawmakers, in a bipartisan initiative to boost ranks of volunteer fire and EMS departments, approved legislation this week that adds a new housing incentive.

The legislature adopted a bill at its general meeting that requires any new affordable developments that receive county workforce housing money to set aside at least five units or 10% of the property's total number of apartments, whichever is less, for volunteer firefighters and EMS workers.

The legislation sponsored by Legis. Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue) grew out of a bill first proposed last November by Legis. Rebecca Sanin (D-Huntington Station).

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said he supports the bill.

Thorne said he was “deeply proud of this bill” prior to the vote.

In an interview, Sanin said she was "thrilled that our firefighters and our EMS personnel are going to have an opportunity to have affordable housing."

The bill requires a volunteer firefighter or EMS personnel to be in “good standing” for three years. They must also already be a member of the fire or ambulance district where the housing project is located, a key difference from the original bill.

Once living in a unit, the housing recipients must submit annual testimony to confirm their "good standing" in the department. The requirements changed from the original bill, which said after five years, the annual verification would no longer be required if the person has 10 years or more of service. The approved bill says the annual testimonies continue until the member qualifies for a retirement benefits program called Length of Service Award Program.

Another requirement states the county attorney, based on a report by the Suffolk County director of affordable housing, “issues an opinion letter that the project would be in compliance with the Fair Housing Act.”

Ian Wilder, executive director of the fair-housing nonprofit Long Island Housing Services, questioned whether the legislation is "just making already limited housing even more unavailable."

He viewed the residency requirement as problematic "because we do have areas in Suffolk that are less diverse” compared to the overall county.

The legislature voted unanimously in favor, with two members absent and two members missing the vote. Legis. Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park), a volunteer in the Deer Park Fire Department, recused himself from the discussion and vote. 

Thorne said introducing separate legislation “has nothing to do with politics"; rather, he did it to change wording that "was all wrong," such as not including "fire companies." 

At a committee meeting in May, Sanin said she would “stand behind” the new version of her bill — “even one born in politics” — if it can help first responders. She withdrew her bill in late May. Sanin and three other Democrats co-sponsored Thorne's bill.

Presiding Offic er Kevi n McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) said the original bill was set to expire after being tabled multiple times while “trying to get it right.” He said there were concerns in the original bill that would encourage people to go “fire department shopping" as volunteers search for the housing incentive.

Thorne said the residency requirements are critical “so we don’t build up one department by stripping another.”

Gerard Turza Jr., chairman of the Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services Commission, said he hopes the legislation can be a “springboard” for towns within Suffolk to pass similar measures aimed at prioritizing affordable housing for first responders.

More than 11,000 volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel are currently serving across the county’s 109 fire departments and 27 ambulance corps, Turza previously said.

McCaffrey added that the bill “is a good first step” and believes the legislature will do more to “ensure we create incentives for people to continue to volunteer in EMS and fire.”