More Long Islanders are 'cost-burdened' by housing than national, state average, census survey shows

A far larger share of Long Island homeowners and renters are "cost-burdened" than the averages for the nation and New York State in most categories, meaning they pay more than 30% of their monthly income for housing costs, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data released this week.

Experts noted this is yet more evidence that there is no getting around the high cost of housing on Long Island, for both homeowners and renters. The money spent on housing means some are going to food pantries to make ends meet.

Matt Cohen, president and chief executive of the Long Island Association, the region's largest business group, said in a statement: "The data confirms what we know to be true on Long Island — the cost of housing is strangling Long Islanders and it is unsustainable for our economic future to expect that we can continue this pattern, and our region must work collaboratively on innovative solutions to this urgent challenge."

Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of Housing Help Inc., a nonprofit that has offices in Greenlawn and Central Islip, said some clients are cutting back on food purchases to pay for housing. "The need for food pantries has increased so much" that she said her organization compiles a list of food pantries for any clients who need it.

Among homeowners with a mortgage on Long Island, 43.4% of them were paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs, according to the bureau's 2023 one-year American Community Survey estimates. Among such homeowners nationwide, the percentage was 30.5%, and for those in New York State, it was 37.6%.

And for those homeowners without a mortgage, 24.7% on Long Island paid more than 30% of their income on housing costs, which includes utilities, insurance and property taxes. That compares to 14.5% for homeowners nationwide and 19.7% for New York State homeowners without a mortgage.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends monthly housing costs should not exceed 30% of one's monthly income.

Breaking out the cost burden among homeowners by race and ethnicity shows that on Long Island, Black homeowners with a mortgage paying more than 30% on monthly housing costs was 36.7% in 2023, nominally higher than the national rate for Black homeowners, at 35.6%, and lower than the New York State rate of 42.9%.

Among Hispanic homeowners with a mortgage, it was 40.8%, higher than the national rate of 34.4% and New York State rate of 40.6%. For whites on Long Island, it was 35.7%; the U.S. rate was 24.6% and the New York State rate was 28.1%. For Asians on Long Island, it was 38%, compared with the national rate of 31.5% and New York State rate of 45.6%.

But the story is even more grim for renters.

The Census Bureau noted in a statement when releasing the data that "over 21 million renter households spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs in 2023, representing nearly half (49.7%) of the 42.5 million households in the U.S. for whom the rent burden is calculated."

For Long Island renters, 53.5% paid more than 30% of their monthly income on housing costs, while 49.5% of New York State renters did.

The cost burden was high for many renters on Long Island across racial lines. Among Black renters, it was 56%; among whites, 55%; among Hispanics, 52.3%; and among Asians, 52.2%.

"The families we work with make between $40,000 and $60,000," said Moya-Mancera. With median rent about $2,130, "We're talking about the cost of rental housing of nearly $25,560" annually, she said. "For some of them, this is about 50% of [their] gross income, not even take home. That is why tenants are struggling."

Twice weekly, she said Housing Help compiles a list of rental apartments. On Sept. 11, she cited listings in Suffolk County for a one-bedroom ranged from $1,900 to $2,600, and in Nassau County from $1,750 to $2,225.

Her organization also provides financial counseling to help clients understand what is needed for them to eventually purchase a home.

Moya-Mancera said her housing agency works with first-time homebuyers on a budget. "It's not only the mortgage," she said, it's "property taxes, insurance. But also how much does it cost to heat the house, the cost of electricity, the cost of water? What is the cost if the boiler breaks down and you need $7,000 for an emergency fund?"

In looking at the survey estimates showing the cost burden facing Long Islanders, Gwen O'Shea, president and chief executive of Community Development Long Island, a Melville-based nonprofit developer and manager of housing, said: "My reaction is that's an extremely high percentage of people that are in a financially compromised scenario. But at the same time, I'm not surprised."

O'Shea added: "We know we need housing on Long Island of every size, shape and style to meet the needs of our community: seniors, or for communities that are seeing a growth with children and families. But we have a housing crisis and we see it regularly."

She said her nonprofit runs an accessory dwelling unit program in Babylon, Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island, using a $4 million state grant to distribute $125,000 to individual homeowners to help them build accessory dwelling units on their property, whether through creating an apartment within their home or a small, stand-alone structure on their property in communities whose zoning regulations allow it.

"We are oversubscribed," she said. "Homeowners are excited and committed to building new housing."