At the December 9, 2025, Town Board Meeting, the Southampton Town Board unanimously approved legislation to establish a floating zone known as the Community Housing Fund Overlay District (CHOD). The legislation put forth by Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara is designed to streamline the approval process for affordable housing projects.

The CHOD aims to better utilize the Community Housing Fund (CHF) and reduce barriers to affordable housing for local workers, community contributors, and seniors, while maintaining community character and natural resources.  Unlike traditional zoning, which assigns specific land uses to designated areas, a floating zone is defined in the code but not yet applied to a particular location; it is only implemented when a specific project is approved.

Councilwoman McNamara stated, “With nearly 70 units of housing in the queue that don’t fit traditional zoning but have broad community support, the need for this zoning tool became apparent. This legislation will positively impact residents for generations to come, and I want to thank our Town Planning and Development Administrator, Janice Scherer for drafting it. I look forward to creating affordable opportunities for home ownership and rentals in our Town.”

“Providing a planning tool to reduce barriers to affordable housing development while maintaining community character and natural resources is a win for everyone,” commented Janice Scherer. “We will work together to create beautiful places that will benefit our communities, and that is something to be proud of.”

“Enacting the Community Housing Fund Overlay District will allow the projects that have been funded through the Community Housing Fund to move forward and to create the workforce housing our residents overwhelmingly supported when they approved the CHF Fund,” added Kara Bak, Director of Housing and Community Services.  “This overlay district is the tool we need to deliver the homes to sustain our Town and support the people who keep our community running.”