Huntington wants to give responders first dibs on affordable housing
Huntington Station resident Chris Leogrande, 32, is a seven-year volunteer at the Halesite Fire Department. Credit: Howard Simmons
Huntington is considering a measure giving volunteer first responders priority for affordable housing, as town officials look to help boost the ranks of volunteer firefighters.
The town requires developers to allocate affordable housing for certain projects. The new measure, which the town board will consider on Tuesday, would give first responders preference for affordable housing opportunities.
Sal Ferro, a town board member who sponsored the measure, said he wants to make it easier for first responders to find affordable housing in an expensive market.
Fire department officials are struggling to retain younger members as they get older because they can't afford to live on Long Island and end up leaving the region, Ferro said.
"We're still working on the details but the idea is to give first responders some priority in order to motivate volunteers to the fire departments," Ferro said. "These volunteers volunteer, put their lives on the line and deserve any help we can give them."
Robert Boyle, Melville Fire Department chief, expressed support for the idea.
"I’m all for it because I have a lot of young members who are not going to be able to afford homes in Melville," he said.
A public hearing on the proposed measure is scheduled for Tuesday at Huntington Town Hall, scheduled to start at 2 p.m..
The town awards affordable housing, based on income and other eligibility criteria, through a lottery system maintained by the Huntington Community Development Agency.
Employees of the Town of Huntington are ineligible to apply for the affordable housing, as are former employees of less than three years, according to the resolution.
Huntington Station resident Chris Leogrande, 32, a 7-year volunteer at the Halesite Fire Department, said he spends at least 20 hours a week attending meetings, training and going on calls. He also works as a manager at a shop that fabricates fire suppression systems. But he said he cannot afford to buy a house.
"I can’t afford to move out right now," said Leogrande, who is a lieutenant and EMT for the fire department. "It would be a nice gesture to the volunteers that give up their free time."
In July 2023, Southold Town adopted a similar measure giving first responders preference on its affordable housing registry.
Fire departments on Long Island have struggled to attract volunteers.
In April, more than two dozen Long Island fire departments participated in a statewide membership drive organized by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. Volunteer ranks statewide have dwindled to 80,000 from about 120,000 in the immediate post-9/11 era, according to the association.
Ferro said the proposal allows first responders to accept affordable housing anywhere in the Town of Huntington, even if it's outside the bounds of the fire district they serve.
But some fire officials have concerns about how the law will be implemented.
Departments may want their volunteers to live in the districts they serve, said Dix Hills Fire Department Chief Thomas Napolitano.
"That may be their rule, but for the fire department, my rule, you have to be within a reasonable response time for the fire district," he said.
Huntington is considering a measure giving volunteer first responders priority for affordable housing, as town officials look to help boost the ranks of volunteer firefighters.
The town requires developers to allocate affordable housing for certain projects. The new measure, which the town board will consider on Tuesday, would give first responders preference for affordable housing opportunities.
Sal Ferro, a town board member who sponsored the measure, said he wants to make it easier for first responders to find affordable housing in an expensive market.
Fire department officials are struggling to retain younger members as they get older because they can't afford to live on Long Island and end up leaving the region, Ferro said.
"We're still working on the details but the idea is to give first responders some priority in order to motivate volunteers to the fire departments," Ferro said. "These volunteers volunteer, put their lives on the line and deserve any help we can give them."
Robert Boyle, Melville Fire Department chief, expressed support for the idea.
"I’m all for it because I have a lot of young members who are not going to be able to afford homes in Melville," he said.
A public hearing on the proposed measure is scheduled for Tuesday at Huntington Town Hall, scheduled to start at 2 p.m..
The town awards affordable housing, based on income and other eligibility criteria, through a lottery system maintained by the Huntington Community Development Agency.
Employees of the Town of Huntington are ineligible to apply for the affordable housing, as are former employees of less than three years, according to the resolution.
Huntington Station resident Chris Leogrande, 32, a 7-year volunteer at the Halesite Fire Department, said he spends at least 20 hours a week attending meetings, training and going on calls. He also works as a manager at a shop that fabricates fire suppression systems. But he said he cannot afford to buy a house.
"I can’t afford to move out right now," said Leogrande, who is a lieutenant and EMT for the fire department. "It would be a nice gesture to the volunteers that give up their free time."
In July 2023, Southold Town adopted a similar measure giving first responders preference on its affordable housing registry.
Fire departments on Long Island have struggled to attract volunteers.
In April, more than two dozen Long Island fire departments participated in a statewide membership drive organized by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. Volunteer ranks statewide have dwindled to 80,000 from about 120,000 in the immediate post-9/11 era, according to the association.
Ferro said the proposal allows first responders to accept affordable housing anywhere in the Town of Huntington, even if it's outside the bounds of the fire district they serve.
But some fire officials have concerns about how the law will be implemented.
Departments may want their volunteers to live in the districts they serve, said Dix Hills Fire Department Chief Thomas Napolitano.
"That may be their rule, but for the fire department, my rule, you have to be within a reasonable response time for the fire district," he said.
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