Vineyard View affordable housing lottery canceled in final hour as developer looks to reopen application process

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The Vineyard View affordable housing lottery, which was expected to be redone Thursday after applicants were shut out from the original drawing, has been postponed, according to the developer of the project.

The reason? They’re allowing time for more people to apply for the chance to secure one of the 50 rental units that will soon open on Route 48 in Greenport.

“Over the past week, concerns have been raised that there may have been some confusion about the lottery application process for the Vineyard View Apartments,” developer Conifer Realty wrote in a statement posted to its Facebook page about an hour before the second drawing was to take place Thursday. “To further ensure that all those interested have the opportunity to apply for an apartment, we have made the decision to postpone the virtual lottery.”

No new date was given for the lottery, but the developer said the application process will reopen for at least two weeks and that it will “expand the lottery to even more applicants in a fair, equitable and inclusive manner.”

To achieve that goal, Conifer said it will work on the following:

• Clearer and more specific instructions will be provided regarding where to submit completed applications to minimize any confusion.

• The application submission period will be open for a minimum of two weeks to allow all interested applicants ample time to apply.

• All prior lottery applicants will continue to be included and eligible for the new lottery when conducted.

• Easier and more direct access to both English and Spanish applications will be made available to the public.

“At Conifer Realty, we take great pride in our 45-year history of providing high-quality affordable housing, and we strive every day to make our communities the best in the marketplace,” the statement continued. “We take the tenant selection process seriously and recognize the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity in this and all facets of our business. We look forward to making our lottery process easier and more accessible for all applicants and appreciate your understanding and patience as we move forward. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the lottery postponement and will be back in touch in the days ahead and as soon as we have firm date on when the lottery will be rescheduled.”

Last Monday’s Vineyard View drawing, the first affordable housing lottery in Southold Town in 15 years, was voided after officials learned that an administrative error kept the names of some of the applicants out of the raffle drum.

Southold Town officials said 315 people initially applied for the lottery.

During the lottery, every name is required to be called to form a complete priority list for the housing. In an effort to get all the names back in, a decision was made to redo the drawing.

Construction at Vineyard View, which was developed by Conifer Realty working with the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, is in the late stages along Route 48 in Greenport.

There are 14 one-bedroom apartments available, 22 two-bedroom units and 14 three-bedroom units. There are two income-based price points for the units and in order to qualify for the New York State of Opportunity project an applicant cannot make more than 60% of the area median income for Suffolk County. The rental prices and income limits also vary based on how many people would live in each unit. On the lowest end, a one-bedroom will cost $1,056 per month to rent, and three-bedroom units cap out at $1,784 a month, according to materials shared on the Conifer Realty website.

The community will feature a fitness center, clubhouse and playground for the residents of its 50 units.

Conifer Realty said if any applicants have additional questions to contact Kelly Shields at 631-315-9677 or via email at [email protected].