State must make affordable housing approvals easier to get

Too often, the region's lack of affordable housing comes from a lack of political will, or community pushback, or a developer's inability to add low-cost units.

But in Suffolk County, there are 400 units of affordable housing ready to go, projects designed and supported, that are stuck in New York's bureaucratic morass.

At the heart of the problem is a decision by Suffolk that shouldn't be a problem at all. Suffolk has asked developers to set aside a small number of units in each affordable project for "inclusive housing" — earmarked for those with developmental disabilities. That's a worthy goal; more than 14,000 Long Islanders are registered with the state's Office for People With Developmental Disabilities.

But developers who wish to build inclusive housing need a "letter of support" from OPWDD before they can move ahead and before applying for state funding that often is the best way to make projects viable. Applications for the next round of that funding, provided by the state's Homes and Community Renewal office, are only open until Dec. 6. The window for letters of support from OPWDD, meanwhile, is closed. So the developers can't get the piece of paper they need. In response to concerns from advocates and elected officials, OPWDD said earlier this month it planned to open a new application period for letters. But its comment to the editorial board Friday that it hoped to do so by year's end is not good enough.

This is a case where two state agencies — both with noble goals and important tasks — are operating in their own silos, without the necessary communication and coordination. And while officials likely mean well, they're hurting the very people they are tasked with helping.

The solution is relatively simple. OPWDD and HCR must work together, coordinating application windows and making it as easy as possible for developers, advocates, and local elected officials to plan and build the affordable housing the region and the state so desperately need.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has made affordable housing a top priority and the state simultaneously has advocated for developing more inclusive units. Suffolk's plan to bring units for those with developmental disabilities under the affordable housing umbrella seems to marry those goals. The state should welcome that effort.

That starts with OPWDD. A new window for letters-of-support requests should be opened and functional, starting as soon as possible and lasting through the HCR December deadline. Meanwhile, officials with both departments should develop a detailed plan for next year that adds multiple application periods and allows developers to apply for both the necessary letters and the critical funding, without facing more delays.

Time is of the essence. Thousands of Long Islanders who need affordable housing, others who need the inclusive units, and residents across the New York are depending on state officials to act — now.