WELFARE TO WORK COMMISSION
of the Suffolk County Legislature
AFFORDABLE FOR WHOM?
Creating Housing for Low and Moderate Income People in Suffolk County
A Report to the Suffolk County Legislature
By The Welfare to Work Commission
Of the Suffolk County Legislature
Based on Public Hearings Conducted by the Commission,
November 2nd, 2006 (Hauppauge Legislative Chamber)
November 6th, 2006 (Riverhead Legislative Chamber)
February, 2007
“Why Not in Their Communities?”
Sherome Ward is a wife and mother of three children. Her husband is employed; she is disabled. Together
they have been homeless in Suffolk County. Sherome summarized the underbelly of fear and prejudice that
prevents Long Island from resolving its critical shortage of affordable housing for struggling families. Testifying
at the November 2nd, 2006 Welfare to Work Commission hearing, Affordable for Whom? Creating Housing for
Low and Moderate Income People in Suffolk County, Sherome spoke of people who say that affordable housing
should not be “in my community.”
“Why not in their communities?” Sherome asked.
“We’re human beings just like them. I have a one year old
daughter who has just started walking. Most beautiful little
thing that you ever want to see…. I am a mother and a wife.
Why not in their communities? Why not give my family a home?
We’re not all drug dealers, we’re not all strung out, we’re all not
criminals. We’re all not bad people. We are people in need.
…All we ask for is help to get the things that we need for our
children.”
The Welfare to Work Commission of the Suffolk County Legislature was created in 2003 to advise the
Legislature on policies related to welfare reform. At the Commission’s May 15th, 2006 meeting, Suffolk County
Department of Social Services Commissioner Janet DeMarzo noted that the County’s housing shortage was
one of the most critical issues facing people on welfare and those transitioning from welfare to work.
Understanding that a typical former welfare client in Suffolk is working at a $10.00 an hour job ($20,000 a year)
in a County where it requires at least a $24.00 an hour job to afford the Fair Market Rental for a 2 bedroom
apartment (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2005), the Commission voted to hold public hearings on
the County’s housing crisis for low and moderate income people.
The Commission’s decision to hold public hearings was also motivated by the fact that public opinion polls
have shown approximately 70 % of Long Islanders now see the need for affordable housing while almost two
thirds of those polled continue to resist the creation of affordable housing in their own communities. (Poll:
Housing Crunch Hits Home, Newsday, January 27, 2005.) And, as public conversations about affordable
housing expand, the focus of this public-policy issue is narrowing to those households earning between 80%
and 120 % of the area’s median income of $91,000 a year, that is, those earning between about $70,000 and
$120,000 a year who cannot afford Suffolk’s high housing costs.
This important shift in the affordable housing debate to include young workers and professionals should not
ignore the approximately 270,000 low and moderate-income Suffolk households (56 % of all households) who
earn under $70,000 a year and will almost certainly bypass the 129,419 very low-income Suffolk households
earning under $40,000 a year. Most disturbing, the 54,194 Suffolk households earning less that $20,000 a year
will be virtually shut out of the County’s affordable housing. (The Long Island Index)
For these reasons, the Welfare to Work Commission voted on August 7th, 2006 to hold two public hearings,
one in Hauppauge and one in Riverhead, with these goals:
To tell the stories of low and moderate income people and agencies in Suffolk County struggling with our critical
housing shortage.
To provide expert testimony on the severity of the housing shortage.
To recommend to the Suffolk County Legislature concrete steps that the County, town and village governments
can take to provide decent and affordable housing to the full range of Suffolk households earning under 120 %
of the median area household income of $91,000 a year.
To prepare for the hearings, the Commission formed a Housing Hearing Subcommittee composed of the
following Commission members and housing experts who served as consultants:
Commissioner Peggy Boyd, Subcommittee Chair, Family Service League
Commissioner Idania Aponte, The INN
Commissioner Cheryl Keshner, Nassau/Suffolk Law Services
Commissioner Richard Koubek, Catholic Charities
Commissioner Kathy Liguori, Tutor Time
Consultant Peter Barnett, Wyandanch Homes and Property Development Corporation
Consultant Rosemary Dehlow, Community Housing Innovations
Consultant Peter Elkowitz, Long Island Housing Partnership
Consultant Lauren Hill, Long Island Association
Consultant Joan Noguera, Nassau Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless
Consultant L. VonKuhen, Community Development Corporation of Long Island
Consultant Diana Weir, Long Island Housing Partnership
The Subcommittee recommended six focus questions for the hearings:
Who is hurt by the housing shortage?
What are the barriers to affordable housing?
What types of housing do we need?
What types of housing are now available?
What types of housing are possible?
What can Suffolk County, town and village governments do to create this housing?
With the assistance of the Office of the Clerk of the Legislature, Tim Laube, letters of invitation were generated
to federal, state and county government officials, agencies contracted with the Department of Social Services as
well as other social service and affordable housing organizations. The hearings proceeded as scheduled on
November 2nd and 6th, 2006. About 100 people attended the Hauppauge hearing and another 40 attended the
Riverhead hearing, each held in the respective legislative chamber. Forty seven people, including County, town
and village government officials, non-government community organizations and citizens affected by the housing
crisis, provided nine hours of testimony, recorded in a 461 page verbatim transcript. In addition, four people
submitted written testimony.
What follows is a summary of the major findings that emerged from the hearings as well as specific
recommendations for Suffolk County government action to create affordable housing for low and moderate
income people.
How Severe Is Suffolk’s Housing Shortage?
The hearings opened on November 2nd with testimony by two invited, affordable housing experts: Dr. Pearl
Kamer, Chief Economist of the Long Island Association (LIA) and author of numerous studies on Long Island’s
housing crisis, including the Long Island Housing Partnership’s 2003 study, Lack of Affordable Housing:
Prescription for Economic Disaster and Dr. David Muchnick of Sustainable Enterprise and author of the 2003
New York AFL-CIO study, The Crisis of Affordable Housing for Long Island’s Working People. Here are some of
the indicators of Suffolk’s housing crisis reported by Dr. Kamer and Dr. Muchnick:
Priced Out of the Market
Between 2000 and 2005, Suffolk County experienced a “steep escalation” in home prices which more than
doubled, from a median price of $190,000 to $348,983. (Kamer)
While the escalation in home prices has slowed in 2006, “the five-year run-up in home prices has priced most
potential home buyers out of the market. Assuming a 10% down payment, and a mortgage equivalent to three
times a buyer’s annual household income, the purchaser of a median priced Suffolk home would have needed
an annual household income of $125,000 [in 2005.] This means that 75% of Suffolk’s current households can’t
afford its housing” because they earn under $125,000 a year. (Kamer)
Another way to look at affordability is that no household should purchase a home worth more than three times
their gross annual income. Thus a household earning the 2005 Suffolk median income of $77,000 should buy
a home valued at no more than $257,000. Yet, only 20% of Suffolk’s 396,000 owner-occupied homes were
valued at $257,000 or less; “80% of Suffolk’s housing stock is unaffordable to current residents.” (Kamer)
Given starting salaries for new professionals on Long Island, ranging from $30,410 for chefs and head cooks to
$49,450 for registered nurses, “even if [they] have two wage earners per household at these wages, [they are]
not going to have an annual income of more than $80,000 a year” and at least 80% of them or 40,000
households will require affordable workforce housing in the next decade because they cannot purchase a
market-priced home. (Kamer)
This disparity between incomes and Suffolk’s high housing costs explains why 37.2% of Suffolk homeowners
with mortgages and 41.5% of Suffolk renters live in unaffordable housing, that is, they are paying over 35% of
their monthly incomes for shelter in 2005. (Kamer) Note: The usual measure of affordability is that shelter costs
should account for no more than 30% of monthly income. Because of Long Island’s high housing costs, Dr.
Kamer adjusted the shelter affordability measure to 35% of monthly income in her 2003 report, which she
continues to use. Over the next decade, Suffolk will need between approximately 65,000 (Kamer) and 69,500
units (Muchnick) affordable rental and owner-occupied housing units.
The Low-Wage/Young Workers’ Crunch
The housing shortage is even more severe for low-wage workers, “retail sales clerks making $6.75 an hour or
home health aides or janitors making $8.00 an hour…” who have to work extra hours or two jobs, double or
triple up with relatives or friends or live with parents because of Suffolk’s shortage of affordable rental
apartments. (Muchnick)
Rental units account for only 20 % of Suffolk’s total housing stock, compared with Westchester County where
rental units account for 35 % of the total housing stock. (Kamer)
To maintain an affordable rent at 30% of monthly income, Suffolk households earning under $40,000 a year
should not pay more than $945 a month on rent. Yet, in 2000 there were only 48,000 apartments with rents
below $945 in Suffolk County to accommodate some 129,000 Suffolk households earning under $40,000.
(Muchnick and The Long Island Index)
As a result of Suffolk’s housing shortage, “in the five years between 2000 and 2005, the number of persons
aged 25 to 34 on Long Island declined by 65,000. They are choosing to start their careers elsewhere because
they cannot afford our housing” (Kamer) “I’ll put it point blank: Their choice is to relocate off the Island or stay
trapped with their parents for a much longer period of time than other 20 to 30 year olds living elsewhere in New
York State…. In 2000, more than half of Suffolk County’s young adults were still living with their parents”
compared with 35% everywhere else. (Muchnick)
The Housing Pressures on Businesses
Suffolk’s high housing costs and shortage of affordable housing are creating an exodus of young workers
which is why “our businesses can no longer find the workers they need to grow their jobs. This explains why in
the 12 months ending September, Long Island gained only 3,000 jobs.” (Kamer)
Less well know and calculated are “productivity losses that employers incur because their employees are
working double shifts or two jobs or more” and are “exhausted from the efforts they need to…pay these higher”
housing costs. (Muchnick)
Ironically, about an hour after Dr. Kamer and Dr. Muchnick reported their findings on November 2nd, their data
were given a human face when Stacey Clark, Director of Family Services for Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk,
testified. Ms. Clark prefaced her remarks by saying, “I’m one of the many still living with my parents. I can’t wait
to get out.” This prompted Welfare to Work Commissioner Robert Greenberger to respond, “We know you
would like to get out as soon as you could, Stacey. [Your comments are an example] of the brain drain that is on
Long Island.” In written testimony submitted to the Commission, Marge Rogatz, President of Community
Advocates, Inc., reported that “census and other data” confirm that “an estimated 384,000 young adults, ages 20
to 34, are living with their parents” on Long Island and that this age group declined by 20% per year over the
past decade, a decline “four times the national rate.”
Commission Chair Dr. Richard Koubek, noting that Stacey Clark was raised and educated on Long Island,
observed that it costs taxpayers about $15,000 a year to educate a child in the public schools on Long Island.
Multiply $15,000 by 12 years for a total cost of $180,000 to educate a Suffolk child. “And then you leave. That is a
major investment. We lose the investment” when our young people move away.
Dr. Koubek also noted that several years ago, then Attorney General Eliot Spitzer speaking before the
leadership of Sustainable Long Island, warned that computer companies - the backbone of Long Island’s
economic revival after the decline of the defense industry in the 1980s – were beginning to relocate from Long
Island to the lower Catskills area because of our high housing costs. Michael Deering, from the Long Island
Association, added, “The question came up [this morning,] at what point does our economic situation
collapse?” because of the housing shortage. “I can’t give an answer to that, but we are seeing the stresses on
business…. There is a recognition that without the housing stock, we’re going to be at an economic
disadvantage. … You need people to fill the jobs to be able to grow your economy.”
What Is the Human Toll of Suffolk’s Housing Shortage?
Two other expert witnesses opened the housing hearing on November 6th: Dr. Suzanne Michael and Dr. Sarah
Eichberg who authored the 2006 Adelphi University Vital Signs study. Here are some of the human
consequences their Vital Signs study revealed about Suffolk’s affordable housing shortage.
What Is Suffolk’s “True” Poverty Level?
The federal poverty level (FPL) in 2006 for a family of four is $20,000 a year which is the typical salary that
people in Suffolk are earning when they leave welfare to work at a $10.00 an hour job. Using the federal
guideline, about 6% of Suffolk households live below the poverty level.
Because of Suffolk’s high cost of living and especially its high housing costs, the “true poverty level” for Suffolk
County is 50% of the area median income for a family of four, or $45,000 a year in 2006.
About 22% of Suffolk households earn under $45,000 a year and are poor, using the Vital Signs definition of
poverty. “In fact, the Economic Policy Institute suggests that a family of four living on Long Island needs about
$61,000 a year to meet monthly expenses. By that we mean transportation, housing, food, child care, taxes.
And that leaves nothing left for savings and for emergencies.”
What Are the Family Strains Caused by Our Housing Shortage?
With 50 % of Suffolk’s renter households paying more than 30% of their monthly income for shelter, i.e., living in
unaffordable rental units, “in order to meet needs in one area, say housing, they need to forego meeting needs
in another area, say food or nutrition…medical care, prescription drugs, heating for their homes in winter.”
These difficult choices caused by Suffolk’s high housing costs explain why a 2006 study by Long Island Cares
and Island Harvest found 259,400 people receiving food from these organizations last year. Half the surveyed
food pantries and one third of the soup kitchens turned away clients in 2005 due to the lack of food.
One study of state health insurance programs that are using sliding scale premium payments to accommodate
low-income families, found that many people withdrew from these plans when the premium costs rose to just
5% of their income. While there is no specific data to correlate high rents and withdrawal from a health plan, it
appears that 5% is a tipping point for individuals and families to re-calculate what they can and cannot afford
given their fixed expenses, e.g., rent.
The doubling and tripling of renters living together, caused by high rental costs and the shortage of rental units,
creates a host of negative consequences, including: fire hazards; uncollected trash; water and sewage
problems; increases in pediatric asthma; anxiety; depression; hypertension; insomnia; headaches;
gastrointestinal problems. Many of the medical problems go untreated because the family has dropped health
insurance.
These Vital Signs study conclusions about the human toll of Suffolk’s affordable housing shortage were
corroborated by other witnesses who testified at the hearings. Edward Hernandez, Deputy Commissioner of
the Suffolk County Department of Social Services (SCDSS) noted that during 2005, the homeless family
caseload decreased from 376 to 308 families and was further reduced to 276 through September, 2006, for a
total reduction of 27% since 2004. Nevertheless, Mr. Hernandez concluded, “the major obstacle to reducing
homelessness continues to be the lack of affordable rental housing.”
Welfare to Work Commissioner Cheryl Keshner commented that “while … the caseloads have been reduced, it
doesn’t mean that those people have found housing….Many have doubled and tripled up, left emergency
housing or have been sanctioned and had nowhere to go.”
Eileen Anderson, Senior Vice President of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, which
administers Section 8 vouchers in Suffolk County, provided graphic testimony regarding the acute shortage of
affordable rental housing. “In May, 2006, for two weeks, we opened up our [Section 8] wait list [because we
received 250 additional federal Section 8 vouchers.] We had 7,000 applicants come into us in that two week
period of time” for the 250 Section 8 vouchers.
Joan Noguera, Executive Director of the Nassau Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless, testified about a disturbing
trend their data tracking system has picked up. “In 2005, 31% of people calling in to the coalition [for help]
earned between $1,000 and $2,000 a month [about $18,000 a year]; 35% made between $500 and $1,000 a
month [about $8,400 a year.] …. In 2006, 21% of people calling were earning between $1,000 and $2,000 a
month and a full 50% were earning between $500 and $1,000 a month.” Ms. Noguera concluded, “This worries
us tremendously because what we see happening is …people are losing their jobs….As their income drops, it
is harder for them to hold on to their housing.”
Two representatives from the faith community who serve Suffolk’s poor provided their perspectives on the
suffering caused by our housing shortage. Carolyn Gumbs from the Long Island Council of Churches’
Riverhead Food Pantry reported at the November 6th hearing that they provide rent and mortgage assistance,
prescriptions, food, clothing, electric and fuel assistance. “We serve between 500 and 625 families a month….
Our total has gone up…200% each month [over 2005] because [of] rents and mortgages…. People are trying to
make ends meet, some not even that.”
Sr. Ann Kathleen, Coordinator of the St. John the Evangelist Outreach Center in Center Moriches, testified that
she confronts Suffolk’s housing shortage every day. “I deal with homeless people. I deal with people who are
living in illegal apartments… In fact, it is actually dangerous for some of them because of electrical problems….
People need shelter just to live a dignified life. We just can’t take it to the talking stage that has been going on
for five years. We have to have some action” to create the affordable housing that “is desperately needed.”
Talk Into Action:
What Government Housing Programs Are Working in Suffolk?
While development of some 65,000 to 69,500 units of affordable housing in Suffolk over the next decade is a
daunting challenge, a number of government agencies testified to the Commission about progress that is
being made.
Suffolk County Department of Social Services Deputy Commissioner Edward Hernandez, as noted above,
reported a 27% reduction in the homeless family caseload, since 2004. In addition:
The caseload for homeless singles fell by 46% since 2003 due to the creation of single shelters,
homeless prevention and supportive services.
During 2005, 391 families were moved from emergency to permanent housing with that number reaching
346 as of September, 2006.
Through the Linkage Center, that provides overnight placement for the homeless, dependence on motel
rooms fell from 95 placements in 2005 to zero in 2006.
Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Workforce Housing administrators Joseph
Sanseverino and Marian Zucker reported a number of innovative affordable housing initiatives that have led to
the creation of about 1,000 units, including:
The Workforce Housing Program, funded through the County’s capital budget, has over the past several
years provided $6 million in funds to acquire land and construct rental and ownership housing, with a minimum
requirement that at least 20% of the units be affordable to households earning less than 120% of median
income. To date, 156 units have been created. (Sanseverino)
The County’s Land Transfer Program has provided over 500 parcels of land taken for tax foreclosures to
municipalities, at no cost, for the development of affordable housing. These units are targeted to households
earning less than 80% of median income, i.e., less than $72,800 a year. The County also oversees three
federal housing grants totaling $6.2 million: Community Development Block Grants; an emergency shelter grant
and the Affordable Housing Development grant for new housing construction, rehabilitation and home-buyer
assistance programs. (Sanseverino)
The Workforce Housing Commission, created in 2004 by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and the
Suffolk County Legislature, has brought together developers, town officials, bankers, environmentalists and
other stakeholders to provide concrete recommendations for the Department of Economic Development and
Workforce Housing, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Health and the Division of Real Estate
to expedite the creation of affordable housing, including:
One of the key actions has been fast-tracking through the County approval process 650 units of affordable
housing over the past 18 months. This fast tracking has been estimated to reduce the approval process by four
to five months and save each development upwards of $1 million. The Department fast tracks the approval
process to cut red tape and delays that arise out of the Suffolk County Department of Health, the Department of
Public Works, Division of Real Estate and local town and village building and planning departments. (Zucker)
The Workforce Housing Commission also recommended greater densities and infrastructure development
in downtown revitalization projects, which are being pursued in a number of communities such as:
Westhampton Beach Village; Patchogue Village; the Wyandanch railroad station area; a senior tax credit
development in the Town of Brookhaven. (Zucker)
Another Workforce Housing Commission recommendation being implemented is use of Transfer of
Development Rights in which the County strips off the development rights from an open-space preservation and
transfers them for the creation of workforce housing. Currently, 20 units have been banked and the Department
is working with the Long Island Builders Institute to identify actual sites where they can be used. (Zucker)
Town of Huntington Community Development Director Douglas Aloise reported several affordable housing
initiatives, including:
“Take Back the Blocks” program in which the Town purchases homes from absentee landlords and rehabs
them for affordable housing.
The construction of several affordable housing complexes including 51 affordable ownership units at High
View and 88 units at Millennium Hills (44 ownership, 44 low-income rentals.)
The Town also requires a 20% set aside for affordable units if a parcel of land is down zoned for density
(more units per acre). The builder may contribute to the Town’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (currently
containing about $2 million) if s/he chooses not to create the affordable units.
Town of Islip Commissioner of Planning and Development Eugene Murphy reported on the Town’s record
of developing 3,000 units of affordable housing since the 1970s in vacant strip commercial centers, through the
removal of obsolete homes and through downtown redevelopment. Among the Town’s strategies have been:
Requiring 10% set aside for affordable units if there is a re-zoning of a property for the creation of
apartments.
An inclusionary zoning requirement with about a 20% set aside for affordable housing (town houses and
apartments) in developments with increased density such as Oakdale and Central Islip.
Town of East Hampton Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development Thomas Ruhle
reported on a number of affordable housing programs in East Hampton. Using a program similar to land trusts,
the town has purchased land and providing a 99 year lease to people who buy one of the affordable homes (8
completed, 10 more planned) on the Town’s land. The owners pay taxes on the home and the appreciation
value of the home is capped by the Consumer Price Index to maintain affordability. The Town is also
considering legalizing 100 accessory apartments with a cap of 20 units per school district.
Village of Patchogue Executive Director of the Community Development Agency, Marian Russo, described the
Copper Beech project which will contain 80 units of ownership housing, 40 of which will be workforce housing;
20 of these units will be made available to people earning less than 80% of median income. This project is
part of Patchogue’s downtown revitalization and has won the support of village and county officials and the
residents of Patchogue who just re-elected the sponsors of Copper Beech.
What Still Needs to Be Done?
Enhancing the Public Debate
When the Welfare to Work Commission planned the two public hearings on Suffolk County’s affordable housing
shortage, the Commissioners were very aware that, over the past five years, numerous studies had been
completed and public discussions are well underway on this important but contentious issue.
The Commission hoped to expand the public debate toward the housing needs of low and moderate income
households, which the federal government defines as households earning under $70,000 a year. The Welfare
to Work Commission has a special concern for households:
Earning under 50% of median income or $45,000 a year, headed by people who have left welfare to work at
jobs that pay, on average, $10.00 an hour or $20,000 a year. Much of the testimony presented on November 2nd
and November 6th accomplished this enhancement of the conversation.
Recognizing Innovative Programs
The Commission also sought to highlight innovative programs that provide affordable housing to the full range
of households earning under 120% of median, with special emphasis on those earning under 80% of median.
Again, there was a significant amount of testimony that accomplished this goal. Nevertheless, there was broad
consensus that only a small portion of Suffolk’s affordable housing needs have been met.
Acknowledging the Work Ahead
While there is no definitive County inventory of housing units created and maintained as affordable, several
factors suggest the enormous amount of work yet to be accomplished.
Eugene Murphy testified that Islip has created 3,000 new affordable housing units. No other Suffolk town
comes close to matching Islip’s affordable housing record. Huntington has developed about 1,400 units since
the 1960s (Huntington Township Housing Coalition, 2005); Smithtown, according to testimony by Frank
DeRubeis, Director of Planning and Community Development, has created about 750 units. While data were
not readily available to the Commission, if the remaining western townships – Babylon and Brookhaven - fell
between Huntington and Smithtown at an average of 1,000 units each - they may have added about 2,000 new
units. According to testimony by Thomas Ruhle, East Hampton has created about 108 new units since the
1980s. The Riverhead Housing Department reports on its website 200 new units since the 1980s. The
Southampton 1999 Comprehensive Plan identified only nine new units. No data were available for the Southold
and Shelter Island. A conservative estimate would be that the five eastern townships may have added about 400
new units.
The new Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Workforce Housing has created, at most,
1,000 units countywide. The Long Island Housing Partnership, the premier not-for-profit agency creating new
affordable family housing, has developed 492 Suffolk units. (LIHP Website) Catholic Charities, the major
provider of senior affordable rental housing, has created 781 Suffolk units. (Catholic Charities website) The
Community Development Corporation of Long Island has created 1,391units. (L. Von Kuhen, CDC-LI Vice
President)
Other not-for-profit agencies, as reported by their executive directors or in testimony at the Commission’s
hearings, created or rehabilitated additional units of affordable owner-occupied and rental housing, including:
Habitat for Humanity (108 units); Community Housing Innovations (77 units); Wyandanch Homes and Property
Development Corporation (27 units). Thus, not-for-profit agencies have added about 2,800 affordable owner-
occupied or rental units to Suffolk’s housing stock. Some of the not-for-profit units were created with the
cooperation of Suffolk County and may be included in the 1,000 units identified above by the Department of
Economic Development and Workforce Housing.
Absent an accurate, official affordable housing inventory, this very rough housing inventory “geusstimate”
suggests that within Suffolk County, at best, only about 10,000 units of affordable housing have been created
since the 1960s. Some of these units may no longer be affordable due to the rise in market values. Most of the
units created have been home ownership, rather than rental housing. This unacceptably low rate of affordable
housing production explains why Dr. Kamer and Dr. Muchnick estimated that the County needs to create
between 65,000 and 69,500 new units in the next ten years.
Recommendations for Action
Perhaps the most important goal of the Commission’s hearings was to gather specific recommendations as to
what actions can be taken in Suffolk, by County, town and village governments and private agencies, to foster
the construction of the 65,000 to 69,500 units of affordable housing that will be needed in the next ten years.
What follows are some of the major recommendations to translate public talk about affordable housing into the
actual creation of both rental and ownership units. The recommendations focus primarily on the construction of
new affordable housing or the rehabilitation of deteriorated housing rather than on programs that assist low
and moderate income people to access housing such as “first time homebuyers” assistance. The
recommendations are grouped by barriers to the development of new affordable housing: local opposition;
cumbersome approval processes; resistance to housing for low-income people.
Barrier #1: Local Opposition to Affordable Housing
The Commission’s invitation for Suffolk town supervisors and village mayors to testify at the affordable housing
hearings began, “There is no tougher political office to hold than town supervisor or village mayor if you want to
create more affordable housing. On the one hand, you see the need and perhaps have creative ideas about
where affordable housing can be placed in your Township. On the other hand, if you try to implement these
ideas, you face intense criticism from local groups opposed to such housing.”
Suffolk County has 10 townships and 34 incorporated villages, each of which maintains ultimate control of the
zoning decisions that can advance or impede the creation of affordable housing. Unlike other counties such as
Montgomery, Maryland or Fairfax, Virginia that have made great strides in the creation of affordable housing,
Suffolk County has very limited zoning authority through the review-process of the Suffolk County Planning
Commission.
Arguing for mixed use (commercial with residential) development and greater densities (more units per
acre) to accommodate the construction of affordable housing, Dr. Pearl Kamer said, “I think there is the political
will to do this but I think the public has to be convinced.” The following are specific recommendations to
overcome local opposition to affordable housing.
Public Education. The County should utilize, through local and state funding, the public education materials and
media advertisements created by the Long Island Campaign for Affordable Rental Housing (LICARH) “Can You
Afford to Live Without Them?” and the Long Island Association “Next Generation Housing” campaigns to
persuade the public that affordable housing:
Is in the public’s own best interests;
Is not a threat to the community;
Will not overwhelm school districts with children;
Is critical to the future health of Suffolk’s economy and property values.
A Bi-County Housing Summit. The Suffolk Legislature should call upon Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy,
Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and their counterparts in the Nassau County Legislature to convene a
Nassau/Suffolk Affordable Housing Summit, as proposed by Gina Pelletieri of the Long Island Housing
Partnership, of “all their respective towns and villages to discuss cooperative efforts to develop more affordable
housing in each community.” This summit should focus on the following barriers to affordable housing:
Challenging public misperceptions, myths and stereotypes about the impact of affordable housing on local
neighborhoods.
Fostering inclusionary zoning, mandatory affordable housing set asides, mixed-use and density land-use,
creation of legal accessory apartments and apartments above stores and downtown, Smart Growth
revitalization projects at the town and village levels of government.
Workforce Housing Incentive Act. The Legislature should adopt a memorializing resolution calling upon the
New York State Legislature – in particular, the nine Long Island state senators – to support the
DiNapoli/Balboni Workforce Housing Incentive Act that would require a 10% set aside for affordable housing in
all new complexes of five or more units. The Legislature should further call upon the state to mandate that the
affordable units be provided to a range of incomes below 80% of median, i.e., households earning 60%, 50%,
40%, 30% and 20% or less of the median income.
A Long Island Council of Governments. While efforts by the newly-reorganized Long Island Regional Planning
Board to coordinate a regional approach to Nassau/Suffolk housing needs should be encouraged, Vision Long
Island has proposed creation of a Council of Governments, representing county, town and village officials, that
would play an advisory role in coordinating regional approaches to housing, zoning, transportation and
environmental issues.
Additional State Education Aid. There is widespread misperception that affordable housing, particularly rental
units, generates many additional children in school districts. Yet, Peter Elkowitz of the Long Island Housing
Partnership and Matthew Whalen of Avalon Bay Communities, using the Rutgers University Center for Urban
Policy research formula, reported that a 4 bedroom home generates 1.12 children, while 1,171 Avalon rental
units on Long Island generated 0.18 children and 1,198 other Nassau/Suffolk affordable units generated 0.25
children. (Presentation at the November, 2005 Vision Long Island Smart Growth Summit.) Nevertheless, the
Suffolk Legislature should call upon New York State government officials to adopt a Massachusetts statute that
provides additional state education aid - i.e., makes whole - school districts that accept affordable housing
units. Toward this end, the Legislature should explore legislation of this kind introduced by Assemblyman Marc
Alessi.
Suffolk Affordable Housing Inventory. The Legislature should urge the Long Island Regional Planning Board to
conduct an accurate inventory of the actual number of owner-occupied and rental affordable housing units that
have been created, and remain affordable, in each of Suffolk County’s 10 towns and 34 incorporated villages.
Needs Assessments. The Legislature should urge the Long Island Regional Planning Board to conduct an
affordable housing needs assessment in all towns and villages with specific target numbers generated for
each community.
Make Affordability Permanent. One criticism of past affordable housing complexes and programs is that the
value of the homes rises with market increases, thereby making them unaffordable or creating windfalls for the
owners. The Legislature should encourage, through the Department of Economic Development and Workforce
Housing, policies that maintain affordability in County-developed affordable housing, including:
Caps on the value of the home to the Consumer Price Index;
A requirement that the owner return excess profits to an affordable housing fund;
Deed covenants, restrictions and re-sale stipulations that maintain affordability.
Combat Racism. Elaine Gross from ERASE Racism and Janet Hanson of Long Island Housing Services each
testified about racial prejudices that make Long Island the 3rd most segregated suburb in the United States
and impede the development of affordable housing. Among their recommendations:
The Legislature should urge the Long Island Regional Planning Board to encourage every town and village
to adopt an Analysis of Impediments (AI) as required by municipalities seeking federal Community
Development Block Grants (CDBG) The AIs identify impediments toward integrating communities as well as
strategies for overcoming these impediments such as advertising and outreach to communities of color about
the availability of new affordable housing units. The County should honor those local governments that develop
AIs which address housing integration.
The Legislature should make certain that adequate funding and staffing - including a full-time attorney - are
provided to the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission to insure enforcement of the County’s newly-
adopted fair housing law designed to reduce racist real-estate practices such as racial steering.
Barrier #2: Cumbersome Approval Processes
Fast-Track Affordable Housing. The Legislature should continue to support these Suffolk County Department of
Economic Development and Workforce Housing activities to fast track or expedite the approval process for
affordable housing:
On-going efforts to fast track town/village project approvals with the County Departments of Health, Public
Works and the Division of Real Estate should continue and be expanded.
The Department of Economic Development and Workforce Housing should continue and expand
coordination of meetings with town and village planning departments to share information and creative
approaches to housing, identify funding streams and supportive programs, strategize on how to overcome
barriers, and update progress in the expansion of the County’s affordable housing stock.
Site Location, Funding and Infrastructure Barriers.
Each legislator should identify sites in his/her district that could take denser rental and ownership housing
to address the needs of their constituents.
The Legislature should continue to support the Department of Economic Development and Workforce
Housing efforts regarding:
Transfer of Development Rights;
Sanitary Flow Credits;
Funding and support for the creation of sewage treatment facilities (a major barrier to the creation of
affordable housing in unsewered areas;)
Funding and support for the acquisition of new properties for the development of affordable housing;
Transfer of tax foreclosure properties to local municipalities, at no cost, for the development of affordable
housing.
The land trust concept similar to that employed by East Hampton Township should be explored by the
Department of Economic Development and Workforce Housing.
The Legislature should consider endorsing Assemblyman Fred Thiele’s bill calling for adding a half
percent to the land transfer tax dedicated expressly to the creation of affordable housing.
Barrier #3: Resistance to Housing for Low-Income People
Understanding that Suffolk County has virtually no housing to meet the needs of the 129,419 low-income
households earning under $40,000 a year, a number of recommendations were made. The Legislature should
call upon state government officials to create a 421-a tax credit program, similar to that provided to New York
City, for developers of rental apartments who set aside 20% of the units in each apartment complex for
affordable rental housing. This program has led to the creation of 110,000 New York City units since the 1970s,
with an additional 20,000 units anticipated over the next decade. (In Overhaul, City Seeks to Expand Lower-Cost
Units, New York Times, December 21, 2006.) Members of the Legislature should also reach out to state
senators and assembly members during the state budget process to support funding for affordable housing
programs such as the Neighborhood Preservation Program.
When the County utilizes federal or state funds to support the creation of affordable owner-occupied
housing, there should be a mandated accessory apartment for low-income renters, with a guarantee of
permanent affordability for the rental unit, as recommended by Wyandanch Homes and Property Development
Corporation.
The Legislature should create a Task Force to explore:
Providing additional funding, through the Department of Social Services, for supportive case management
programs for very-low income people placed in subsidized rental housing such as the services provided by
Options for Living, Wyandanch Homes and Property Development Corporation, Community Development
Corporation of Long Island, Family Service League and Community Housing Innovations.
Creating a County rental subsidy program – similar to the federal Section 8 program – for people
transitioning from welfare to work.
The Legislature should consider adopting a Suffolk County rent control law to stabilize rents for low and
moderate income households, as recommended by Community Housing Innovations.
Conclusion
Legislators: Use Your Pulpit … Expedite the Process
The members of the Welfare to Work Commission understand that the fragmentation of government power on
Long Island has created a lock on zoning powers for local towns and villages. The County has little direct
influence over the day-to-day decisions such as inclusionary zoning that could lead to greater density, mixed-
use developments, legalized accessory apartments and other policies that would increase the stock of
affordable rental and ownership units. However, the County Legislature can use, and has used, its moral
suasion – its “bully pulpit” - to keep the affordable-housing issue before the public eye, including the need to
create housing for the entire workforce, particularly low and moderate income people.
The Legislature can also take the lead in regional solutions to the housing crisis by encouraging the Long
Island Regional Planning Board to continue its work in this area, and by convening a summit of county, town
and village officials to address the crisis. Additionally, the Legislature can explore the idea of establishing a
Council of Governments to coordinate and advise county, town and village officials on regional Smart Growth
issues, including the affordable housing shortage.
Finally, the Legislature should continue to support through resources and staffing the recommendations of the
Workforce Housing Commission and the activities of the Department of Economic Development and Workforce
Housing that have initiated procedures to fast track the County approval process for affordable housing
developments. As the County sets the pace, the Legislature should encourage each town and village to create
a staff position and a process to expedite the local approval of affordable housing developments.
In the end, despite the lack of County zoning powers, the Legislature can create the much needed political will
and stimulate public support that may finally translate the talk about affordable housing into action. The future of
Suffolk’s economy and workforce, the stability of our families, the value of our properties, and the fairness of our
suburban way-of-life are at stake as we decide where and how and for whom we will build the 65,000 to 69,500
units of affordable housing we desperately need in the next ten years. Without action, this haunting testimony by
Prudence Carbine on November 6th may foreshadow our common legacy: “I’m still able to reside in the Town of
East Hampton after 12 generations [of my family living here.] My children cannot, sadly.”
Agencies and Officials That Provided Testimony at the Hearings
(In their order of appearance)
Professional Researchers
Dr. Pearl Kamer, Chief Economist, Long Island Association
Dr. David Muchnick, Sustainable Enterprise
Dr. Suzanne Michael and Dr. Sarah Eichberg, Vital Signs Project, Adelphi University
Government Officials
Edward Hernandez, Deputy Commissioner, Suffolk County Department of Social Services
Joseph Sanseverino, Director of Community Development and Marion Zucker, Director of Affordable Housing,
Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Workforce Housing
Douglas Aloise, Community Development Director, Town of Huntington
Eugene Murphy, Commissioner of Planning and Development, Town of Islip
Frank DeRubeis, Director of Planning and Community Development, Town of Smithtown
Marian Russo, Executive Director of the Community Development Agency, Village of Patchogue
Thomas Ruhle, Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, Town of East Hampton
Non-Government Community Organizations
Gina Pelletieri, Director of Technical Assistance, and Diana Weir, Vice President, Long Island Housing
Partnership
Michael Deering, Vice President, Long Island Association
Eileen Anderson, Senior Vice President, Community Development Corporation of Long Island
Joan Noguera, Executive Director, Nassau/Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless
Peter Barnett, Executive Director, Wyandanch Homes and Property Development Corporation
Stacey Clark, Director of Family Services, Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk
Paul Arfin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Intergenerational Strategies
Linda Goetchius, Hands Across America
Janet Hanson, Long Island Housing Services
Options for Community Living: residents Ezan Mohammed; Andy Lum; Joseph Yanetta; Rebecca Augusta; Mary
Wallin; Sherome Ward; Susan Bach; Donna Travis; Sara Stines Donaldson; Gerry Pappa
Rosemary Dehlow, Long Island Director, Community Housing Innovations
Elaine Gross, Executive Director, ERASE Racism
Sr. Ann Kathleen, Coordinator, St. John the Evangelist Parish Outreach Center Moriches
Dr. Karen Martin, Brighter Tomorrows
Hank Beck, Vice President, Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce
Carolyn Gumbs, Long Island Council of Churches Riverhead Food Pantry
Prudence Carabine, Board President, Peconic Community Council and member of the East Hampton Town
Housing Options Advisory Board
Barbara Jordan, Board Member, Suffolk County League of Women Voters
Christian Aquilano, Program Director, Gerald McDowell, Housing Specialist, Joan Avolese March, Director of
Equity Homes, Help Suffolk,
Eric Alexander, Director, Vision Long Island (written testimony)
Dr. Diane Aquino, Executive Director, Long Island Adolescent and Family Services, Inc., (written testimony)
Dr. Ruth Brandwein, Director, Social Justice Center and Professor, School of Social Welfare, State University of
New York, Stony Brook, (written testimony)
Marge Rogatz, President, Community Advocates, Inc. (written testimony)
Submitted by the Welfare to Work Commission of the Suffolk County Legislature
February, 2007
Richard Koubek, Ph.D., Chair, Catholic Charities
Kathy Ligouri, Vice Chair, Tutor Time
Mary Allen, Gerald Ryan Outreach Center
Idania Aponte, The INN
Peggy Boyd, Family Service League
Gwendolyn Branch, Long Island Council of Churches
Judy Cahn, Suffolk BOCES
Susan Dugan, Suffolk County Department of Labor
Joan Grant, Economic Opportunity Corporation
Robert Greenberger, F. E. G. S. Health and Human Services System
Edward Hernandez, Suffolk County Department of Social Services
Cheryl Keshner, Nassau/Suffolk Law Services
Pam Killoran, Workforce Investment Board
Nina Leonhardt, Suffolk County Community College
Barbara LoMoriello, Office of the Presiding Officer, Suffolk County Legislature
Hon. Elie Mystal, Suffolk County Legislature
Ken Zone, Long Island Cares Inc, Harry Chapin Food Bank
