Officials target illegal housing in Huntington Station

In an effort to address illegal housing in Huntington Station, town and county officials have announced initiatives designed to better crack down on code violations and unsafe living conditions.

Huntington code enforcement officials will step up efforts to provide the Suffolk County Department of Social Services with a list of residences with potential health or safety violations.

Social services will report violations discovered during housing inspections to Huntington code enforcement officials. Houses in violation will be listed and will be off limits to public assistance clients. Rent will be withheld whenever possible until all violations are corrected.

The two sides have also pledged to hold regular meetings to facilitate interaction with the community and elected and appointed representatives. The plan includes efforts to enlist landlords' cooperation in addressing conditions that impact residents' quality life. Landlords who do not cooperate will face stiffer fines that were implemented by the town earlier this year.

The initiatives came out of meetings last week of Supervisor Frank Petrone, Town Board member Mark Cuthbertson, County Executive Steve Levy and Police Commissioner Richard Dormer.

Levy said the county will support state legislation allowing the town to create a Code Violations Bureau to more quickly and efficiently prosecute people who violate town codes.

Town officials will establish a hotline for residents to lodge complaints and create a community outreach office to be located in the Huntington Housing Authority offices on Lowndes Avenue.

The hotline and outreach office are expected to be implemented sometime over the next two weeks.

The Huntington School District decided last week to close Jack Abrams School, which is located in Huntington Station, days after a 16-year-old girl was shot near a parking lot at the school.