New county legislation targets illegal group homes, slumlords, and zoning scofflaws
A solution to a problem that has plagued Suffolk communities for decades is finally within reach. The county legislature is moving to adopt a landmark bill that would require landlords to comply with local zoning and building codes in order to receive county-funded rental assistance—a measure that promises to bring overdue accountability to the housing system.
Legislator Nick Caracappa, the bill’s sponsor, called it “common-sense legislation” that will give towns greater power to deny taxpayer-funded vouchers to landlords operating unsafe, illegal, or overcrowded group homes. The move has long been pushed by Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico and County Executive Ed Romaine as a way to hold slumlords and other irresponsible landlords accountable for abusing the social welfare system.
“Right now, landlords can hide behind LLCs and state law, while the county is forced to pay housing vouchers—even if the homes haven’t been inspected or violate fire and health codes,” Caracappa said. “We’re ending that.”
The Selden legislator pointed to the devastating impact on working-class neighborhoods across Suffolk County—from Coram and Mastic-Shirley to Bellport and Patchogue—where slumlords are packing 20 or more people into houses meant for four or five. “These aren’t just code violations—they’re death traps,” he said. “Our firefighters are trained to navigate normal homes, not mazes of makeshift bedrooms. If there’s a fire, people will die.”
According to Caracappa, these homes are not only a danger to tenants but also drain resources from the surrounding communities. “Our law enforcement officers are responding to call after call—domestic disputes, assaults, overdoses. We’re spending tax dollars to subsidize unsafe, illegal structures that destroy quality of life and property values.”
He said his goal isn’t to shut down all group homes. “There are responsible landlords working with the county to provide legitimate transitional housing. We support them. But we will not tolerate slumlords exploiting vulnerable people to get rich.”
The legislation has already drawn bipartisan support. South Shore Legislators Jim Mazzarella and Dominick Thorne signed on as co-sponsors, with Caracappa noting that “more are coming aboard.” The bill was introduced in May and is expected to pass in the coming weeks.
“This bill is long overdue,” said Frank Fugarino, president of the Pattersquash Creek Civic Association in Mastic Beach. “It’s good for the community, good for the families, and finally puts responsibility where it belongs—on the landlords and the Department of Social Services to ensure these homes meet basic standards.”
Maura Sperry, president of the Mastic Beach Conservancy, echoed that concern in a statement submitted to the legislature. “These overcrowded houses are polluting our fragile wetlands with failing septic systems,” she wrote. “This is not simply a zoning issue. It’s a public health, safety, and environmental emergency. We strongly support this legislation.”
Sperry warned that community members are weighing legal action if government fails to act. “Many in Mastic Beach are now considering an Article 78 proceeding to compel enforcement. What’s happening here amounts to environmental racism—concentrating vulnerable populations in distressed neighborhoods with no oversight or services.”
Kareem Nugdalla, president of the Coram Civic Association, praised the bill as a long-overdue safeguard for both residents and first responders. “The people living in these group homes deserve to live with dignity, and these zoning and safety laws exist to protect them,” he said. “When landlords ignore those laws, it puts everyone at risk—especially the firefighters, EMS, and police officers who have to go into these overcrowded, dangerous buildings. This legislation is a promise finally being kept to our community.”
Nugdalla, who is African American and whose wife is Hispanic, also pushed back on critics claiming the bill is racially motivated. “This has nothing to do with race,” he said. “It’s about doing the right thing. You can’t keep collecting checks off people’s backs without giving them the safe housing they deserve.”
The legislation would amend the Suffolk County Code, inserting new provisions to allow the Department of Social Services to withhold rental assistance payments if a municipality reports code violations, unless the non-compliance is solely due to tenant behavior.
“This is about taking back our communities,” Caracappa said. “I represent the hardworking middle-class families of Suffolk—not drug dealers, not slumlords. The days of rewarding bad actors with taxpayer money are over.”