Since graduating from Southold High School in 2018, Andrea Menjivar has seen the affordable housing strain unfold firsthand.
Menjivar, 24, lives with her parents to save up for a down payment while watching friends and former classmates flee the North Fork in search of lower living costs.
“The North Fork is now a wealthier area,” Menjivar said in an interview recently. But for most of her peers, “the feasibility of them owning a house here is pretty low, and that’s kind of discouraging.”
Now, she hopes to make a difference as Southold Town’s community development project supervisor, a new role created to implement the town’s community housing plan and administer $5.5 million in community housing funds.
Census data shows the median income in Southold is $109,152 and median rent is $2,141. This year marked the first time the median home price on the North Fork exceeded $1 million, Newsday reported in July.
Menjivar, who has a degree in architectural technology from New York Institute of Technology and is working on a master’s from Boston Architectural College, began the new job in July and will work closely with town government liaison Gwynn Schroeder.
Councilwoman Jill Doherty advocated for the new position.
“It’s really important to have somebody in an office where the public can go to one person and get all the resources they need,” Doherty said in an interview. “Hopefully she can keep the plan moving forward so we can get some [housing] units on the ground.”
Menjivar, Schroeder and Doherty recently spoke with Newsday about the town’s housing initiatives. The interviews have been edited for clarity and length.
What is the community housing fund?
Voters approved the Southold Community Housing Fund in 2022. Revenue is generated through a 0.5% tax on most real estate transfers and earmarked for affordable housing purposes. Since taking effect in April 2023, the fund has raised $5.5 million, according to Schroeder.
East Hampton, Southampton and Shelter Island also authorized community housing funds to address affordability.
Southold approved a comprehensive housing plan in 2023 that set goals for housing, but Menjivar’s role will focus on how the funds should be allocated.
“That’s the really big question, trying to figure out what’s the best way to disperse those funds,” Menjivar said. “We want to do it in a very thoughtful way.”
Why is affordable housing such an important issue in the town?
Menjivar said the lack of housing opportunities chips away at the community.
“These are people that are nurses, firefighters, teachers that should be considered a backbone of our community,” she said. “They play such a vital role and genuinely serve the community, it’s only fair to find ways to help.”
What are key priorities in the town’s housing plan?
It encourages direct financial assistance for down payments for first-time buyers and homeowners who want to build affordable accessory apartments. It also recommends addressing the impact of vacation rentals and subsidies for developers building affordable housing.
Menjivar said she supports the town’s recent efforts to crack down on illegal short-term rentals after a recent report found there were more than 1,000 across the town.
“It would open up the opportunity for people who want to rent year-round,” Menjivar said, adding that the ideal mix includes both rentals and homeownership. “We’re trying to bring balance.”
What steps has the town taken so far to implement the plan?
The town board in June adopted a framework for offering subsidies to developers as a way to incentivize building. The subsidies start at a base of $55,000 per unit.
Additional funding could be provided for projects in areas near public transit and those that promote sustainability. “We want to encourage [developers] to repurpose the empty buildings in town, especially the ones that are in the perfect location, like Love Lane,” Doherty said, referencing Mattituck’s popular downtown.
One developer planning to transform a vacant bank into 12 apartments and a small cafe on Love Lane could be eligible for the subsidy, she said.
Why is affordable housing such a problem?
A mix of factors make the housing crisis most acute on the East End, including “extraordinary wealth” that drives up housing prices. That’s due to the competition between short-term rentals and luxury second homes that make up 40% of the market, according to the state bill authorizing the fund.
The housing shortage contributes to staff shortages, increased traffic and strain on volunteer emergency services.
“It’s more of a tourist town,” Doherty said. “There’s not really enough housing for year-round individuals. Pretty much everything’s over a million dollars, and what young couple can afford that?”
Does the town have a sense of the need for housing?
Southold keeps a housing registry with 650 people on the list, Schroeder said. “The registry will be used to alert people to housing opportunities or programs related to community housing,” she said. One priority is updating the list so it’s more accessible and accurate.
Are there any challenges to implementing housing goals?
Zoning can be a barrier, Menjivar said. As the town updates its zoning code, she supports the creation of a “community housing” overlay district that could promote new housing.
Another challenge is balancing developers’ interests with community character and other town goals of land preservation.
“It’s all on a project by project basis,” Menjivar said. “And in the way that developers can encourage confidence with the community.”
Next up for Southold
- Menjivar plans to present recommendations to the town board on using the community housing fund for individual subsidies, including down payment and rental assistance and grants for accessory apartments.
- She also plans to look at how East Hampton and Southampton are managing their funds as inspiration.