Displaced Horton Ave. Residents Head to Front of Affordable Housing Line

The Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of amending the county code, an amendment which would move displaced residents of flooded Horton Avenue homes to the top of the county's affordable housing list. 

The amendment, focused on all victims of hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes "which render uninhabitable a person's primary residence," was supported by both Legis. Ed Romaine, R - Center Moriches, and County Executive Steve Levy. Romaine originally laid a resolution on the table in December of 2010, though Levy's Certificate of Necessity, which passed with a 17-0 vote, was passed after Romaine withdrew his amendment.

"This is one of the many pieces of the puzzle that's required to help these people get back on with their lives," Romaine said. "And I'm happy to work with the County Executive and the town of Riverhead to resolve these people's problems. I'm just sorry it's taken so long."

At the end of March last year, intense flooding forced the evacuation of 15 homes on and around Horton Avenue. According to Linda Hobson, who was displaced herself and is often seen and heard speaking on behalf of her old neighbors, eight went without a permanent place to live for some time. On Wednesday, she said she was surprised to hear that the amendment had already been passed - Levy's C.N. expedited the vote by a month.

"We already have the affordable housing program, so that isn't new," Levy said in an interview on Wednesday. "All we are doing here is giving preference to those who were displaced through no fault of their own."

Affordable housing is often a partnership between the county and town. Parcels which come into county ownership due to unpaid taxes are often given to the town "for a nominal fee," said Levy, and subsequently offered through a lottery to increase the affordable housing stock. 

Levy's deputy executive, Chris Kent, put it simply: "The county gets the properties and transfers them to the town. The town then runs the program to get the properties into the hands of people who meet the criteria."

Hobson, who jumped around from family member to family member for the first three months of her displacement, has since found a temporary residence, but is hoping Tuesday's county code amendment serves as the first step toward a permanent home. The next step involves the county finding other suitable parcels, which would be transferred to Riverhead town, on which to build the new affordable housing.