First responders could get housing help in Southold with proposed code change

Southold may change its housing code to help first responders who are priced out of the housing market find a place to live — a measure designed to try to boost the ranks of the volunteers.

If it passes, volunteer firefighters and EMTs would be prioritized on the town’s affordable housing registry, a list of more than 500 names to draw upon if new housing opportunities arise.

The town’s Housing Advisory Commission manages the list, which informs residents about potential housing lotteries.

A public hearing on the proposed measure is scheduled for July 18.

“It coincides with the very heavy push right now by fire departments to get volunteers to sign up," Town Supervisor Scott Russell said at a meeting last week.

In an interview, he added: "We're at a critical juncture. We need volunteers."

The code amendment follows an earlier attempt to give affordable housing list preference to first responders who already live in Southold. Town officials reconsidered the initial measure after concerns that the narrow scope could be vulnerable to litigation.

In 2020, a consultant’s report advised the town to “remove any semblance of a residency requirement” from its affordable housing policy.

Russell said changes were made to make the legislation “defendable” by law. 

Under the proposed amendment, first responders who live anywhere in Suffolk County would be eligible for priority status on Southold's affordable housing registry list.

Officials noted that a spot on the list doesn’t guarantee housing upon entrance into drawings, which developers usually control.

Currently, there are no pending developments in Southold where such a registry would be used.

A draft of the proposed measure notes a lack of volunteers could mean “the possible necessity of replacing volunteer services with paid employees.”

Lloyd Reisenberg, a Mattituck Fire Department volunteer for more than 20 years, said recruitment numbers have dwindled across the East End.

In addition to housing, Reisenberg said more stringent training requirements, though worthwhile, also can pose a barrier for potential volunteers.

“It’s a big commitment,” he said. “A lot of younger people are working two jobs, they have young families. The requirements are harder. Housing is harder.”

Data from the first quarter of 2023 shows the median home price in Southold was $962,000, according to Suffolk Vision Inc.