Legitimate legislative divides must be addressed to solve LI's housing crisis

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed a series of executive actions designed to promote housing growth amid New York’s housing crisis — a move she called an “important first step” to expand the state’s housing supply. 

The actions came less than two months after the conclusion of the 2023 legislative session, when the governor and State Legislature were unable to reach a housing agreement. However, to simply lament that housing issues did not get done in Albany this past session would be a misrepresentation. The lack of a compromise was not due to apathy, but rather passion and a diversity of viewpoints.

Among those critical viewpoints were the interests of homeowners and tenants in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The issue of local control over zoning, in particular, was a flashpoint that spurred strong advocacy from legislators and communities across the Island.

Housing policy, with its inherent complexity, generated internal conflicts within both the State Senate and the Assembly, as well as between the two chambers. The debate largely centered on the question of how best to balance economic growth, affordable housing, and comprehensive housing development. Should policies focus solely on tenant protections or should they also reflect the economic realities of every corner of the state? And how to account for cities like Glen Cove and Long Beach while considering the implications to single-family homes in the towns and villages that sit between them?

Traditional liberals clashed with conservatives, socialists debated with moderates, urban-suburban divides emerged, and rifts materialized within urban caucuses based on the relative affluence and privilege of constituents. 

Further complicating the matter, the sensibilities and wish lists of influential New York City legislators came into conflict with the viewpoints of their counterparts from other parts of the state — particularly Long Island. Unfortunately, many NYC-based state legislators centered their activism and their politics in opposition to the interests of Nassau and Suffolk, which together comprise nearly 20% of a statewide general election vote. 

Lawmakers who represent Manhattan and Brownstone Brooklyn — and millennial and Gen Z hot spots like Williamsburg and Astoria — don’t have the same housing priorities as legislators who represent Deer Park, Baldwin, Woodbury, East Moriches, or Great Neck. 

Ensuring that voices on Long Island are heard is more important than rushing through a city-focused agenda that would have an enormous impact on every aspect of Long Island’s housing market, from single-family homes to apartment buildings to the two- and three-family homes that make up the majority of rental units in many towns and villages.

Trade associations representing residential real estate owners and managers have a fundamental goal: to foster a more balanced approach to housing policy among city and state officials. Housing policy impacts not only our industry but the broader New York economy; it's crucial to acknowledge that well-crafted, productive policy will benefit tenants, owners, and the state at large. It’s the merits of policies that should drive consideration, not the volume of politics.

New York, in its immense diversity, defies one-size-fits-all policymaking. So does Long Island, diverse in its own population and housing stock.

While some oversimplify complexities for the sake of a hashtag or to deflect blame, it's our role, and the responsibility of serious legislators, to embrace and highlight the complexity of legislation. Anything less is disingenuous and agenda-driven. Responsible policymaking requires a willingness to hear the perspectives of those who disagree with you.