Suffolk County bill aims to ease housing burdens for first responders

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine signed a new bill requiring affordable housing projects that receive county workforce housing funding to designate up to 10% of its units for fire or ambulance volunteers.

Krista McNally

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Jul 22, 2025, 9:15 PM

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Updated 8 hr ago

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Finding an affordable place to live on Long Island is not easy, but officials are working to alleviate some of the stress for those who are buying or renting in the area.

Jade Brennan, a paramedic with South Country EMS, says the cost of living near her station is a constant financial strain.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine echoed those concerns, warning that without affordable housing options, essential emergency services could be at risk.

“If they don't have affordable housing, if they can't live in the communities they serve, all of a sudden we won’t have a fully staffed fire department or ambulance service," he says.

On Tuesday, Romaine signed a new bill requiring affordable housing projects that receive county workforce housing funding to designate up to 10% of its units for fire or ambulance volunteers.

The legislation adds all 11,000 fire and EMS workers in Suffolk to the affordable housing category.

Suffolk County Legislator Dominick Thorne called the bill a “no-brainer.”

“If I can take one more thing off their plate to remove the worry if they are going to make their rent, that will increase our volunteers in this county," he says.

This year, home prices in Suffolk County hit a record high. According to OneKey MLS, the median price of a single-family home is now $690,000.

Paramedics say having a full team on call is critical to emergency response times, especially when multiple emergencies occur at once.

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