Long Island lawmakers criticize Hochul's housing plan at budget hearing

Long Island lawmakers criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s housing plan Wednesday, with one calling it “an attack on our suburban communities," as the governor’s top state housing official presented the case for why the state needs more homes.

RuthAnne Visnauskas, commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, explained why the governor sees building more housing as critical to the state’s economy, with New York creating 1.2 million new jobs in the past decade but only 400,000 new housing units.

“In every town, village and city that I visit, I hear similar challenges on housing," she told members of the State Senate and Assembly during a budget hearing in Albany. "Rents are rising, existing residents are being priced out, and across the spectrum it's becoming more and more difficult to find places to live."

Hochul’s executive budget proposal set a goal of adding 800,000 new homes across the state in the next decade. That would be accomplished, in part, by setting a target of 3% growth in housing units over three years for downstate areas including Long Island. If localities don’t meet their targets, developers would be able to appeal to a proposed state housing board. 

Long Island Republicans have lined up to oppose the plan, which they say strips municipalities of their ability to control local zoning decisions and provides insufficient funding — $250 million — for infrastructure, such as sewers, to manage growth. Some Democrats on Long Island have been wary of supporting the plan as well. The governor and Legislature must agree on a budget by April 1.  

Visnauskas praised certain areas for their approaches to growth, including Patchogue and Riverhead, but said “the crisis stems from unnecessary and sometimes purposeful obstacles” in local zoning rules.

Hochul's proposal also would require localities to rezone the area within one-half mile of MTA rail stations, including the Long Island Rail Road, in the next three years unless the area already meets density requirements. For areas within 15 miles of New York City, including much of Nassau County, localities not meeting state targets would need to rezone to allow up to 50 housing units per acre. Density requirements are lower in areas farther from New York City.

State Sen. Jack Martins, a Republican who previously served as mayor of Mineola, noted that the village has seen more than 1,000 units of housing built near its LIRR station in the past decade.

“We didn't need state mandates," he said. "We didn’t need someone telling us that we are required to build a certain amount of density."

Martins said he was concerned by the significant increase in the number of units that would be allowed near LIRR train stations without local approval.

“We see it as an attack on our suburban communities and urge you and the governor to reconsider this as we go forward,” Martins said.

Keith Brown, a Republican assemblyman from Northport, said he supports building different types of housing on Long Island but the $250 million in state funding Hochul proposed to fund infrastructure, such as sewers, is insufficient. It would take about $5 billion to build sewers across Suffolk County, he said.

Visnauskas responded that the $250 million “is not meant to pay for or reflect all the water and sewer needs across the state,” but rather serve as a “down payment” to assist local governments that commit to permitting housing.

During one pointed back-and-forth, Visnauskas and Assemb. Ed Ra, a Republican from Garden City South, debated whether towns and villages have been given options on how to boost housing.

“This isn’t an incentive,” he said. “This is a requirement.”

But the localities will conduct the rezoning themselves, Visnauskas countered.

Community groups rallied last week to support the governor’s housing plan at the Huntington LIRR station, expressing frustration with the resistance of local officials, who they said are working against making housing more affordable for working-class families.

“Stop pushing against actual solutions to the housing crisis,” said Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of nonprofit Housing Help in Greenlawn.

By Jonathan LaMantia

jonathan.lamantia@newsday.com@jonlamantia

Jonathan LaMantia covers residential real estate and other business news on Long Island. He previously covered the business of health care for Crain's New York Business.