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Town weighs New York State HCR 'move‑in' manufactured‑home program for Canwell Court
Summary
Town staff briefed the board on a new NY HCR program that would deliver HUD‑code/modular 'cross‑mod' homes on permanent foundations; staff said the town could qualify for 10–16 units at Canwell Court but flagged procurement, bat‑window timing and minimum affordability term issues for follow‑up with HCR and the town attorney.
Town officials on Oct. 21 discussed a New York State Housing and Community Renewal (HCR) pilot that would place manufactured cross‑mod homes on town sites to create deeply affordable single‑family housing.
Mark Morgan Perez of the Office of Community Development said East Hampton could apply as a municipal applicant; the program favors municipalities that can demonstrate 10 or more ready sites and requires municipal resolutions permitting HUD‑code cross‑mods without special‑use permits. “We seem to be in a good position from program readiness…the program wants us to have at least 10 sites ready and we have 16,” Perez said, noting Canwell Court as a candidate.
Perez identified key considerations for the board: procurement and a prequalified vendor list from HCR must align with town procurement rules; a short HCR affordability term (10 years) may need negotiation for longer local restrictions; and a state caveat that site clearing generally should not occur after application raises timing concerns because of a local bat‑habitat window that requires seasonal timing for clearing. Town staff said they will ask HCR about the best approach to reconcile the bat‑window with site‑readiness requirements.
Cost estimates in the presentation suggested modular cross‑mods could reduce per‑unit costs materially compared with traditional construction — staff cited low‑end estimates in the ~$250,000 range including site work — but officials said they needed more information on quality, delivery timelines and whether units include basements or comply with town procurement and planning rules.
What’s next: staff will consult HCR to clarify procurement/pre‑clearing requirements, seek sample installations for quality review, and coordinate with the town attorney and planning staff on any necessary zoning or procurement adjustments before a decision to submit a municipal application (RFA deadline referenced in presentation).
