Southampton funds Affordable Housing Trust with $400,000 from CPA; voters reject citizen petition to cut CPA surcharge

Southampton voters approved a $400,000 transfer from Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to the town’s newly formed Affordable Housing Trust and simultaneously rejected a citizen petition that would have reduced the local CPA surcharge from 3% to 1%.

Proponents including Housing Trust chair Matthew Manganelli said the trust — composed of volunteers with experience in lending, nonprofit housing and municipal governance — will allow the town to respond quickly to property‑level opportunities for affordable housing. "The trust is a means of making this funding more accessible to families who need it," Manganelli said, arguing that CPA money sitting in accounts requires town‑meeting action for each disbursement and can miss time‑sensitive real‑estate opportunities.

Opponents warned about moving substantial funds out of direct town oversight; speakers urged transparency in criteria for beneficiaries and cautioned that trust decisions would not necessarily come back to a town meeting for approval. Some residents suggested rehabbing existing homes rather than building new units.

Later in the meeting, a citizen petition to reduce the CPA surcharge from 3% to 1% prompted a long debate about trade‑offs: supporters said cutting the surcharge would ease property tax burdens and could increase ballot support for overrides; opponents emphasized that reducing Southampton’s local contribution cuts state matching and limits the town’s ability to leverage larger grants for greenway, historic and conservation projects. The moderator announced the vote failed — Yes 22; No 77 — preserving the 3% local surcharge.

The Affordable Housing Trust now has funding to pursue projects consistent with CPA eligibility and the town’s housing plan; trust members said future uses will be guided by income‑restriction rules and the town’s housing production priorities.