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2004 Smart Growth Summit "Setting the Standard" Friday, November 19th from 8:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Affordable Housing
“What people are really looking for are neighborhoods that have a lot of variety and choices and types and different kinds of units…If you can tell what's affordable then you've failed in the long term because once you can identify, then it's always branded and you brand the people that live it in.” --- Rob Robinson Urban Design Associates
Background Thousands of Long Islanders lack access to decent housing that is within their means. People with low and moderate incomes – including a substantial percentage of the workforce that fuels Long Island's economy -- frequently face either living in increasingly remote locations and commuting long distances, or living in substandard housing in distressed neighborhoods.
For many of our young educated people, the best choice is simply to leave. Long Island 's “brain drain” is remarkable. According to a study by the Rauch Foundation, from 1990-2000, the population of 18-34 year olds on the Island dropped by 20 percent -- 5 times the nation's rate of population decline. 18,000 people aged 24-35 left Long Island in 2001 alone.
The old solution of addressing affordable housing needs through large developments of single low-income housing projects is a failed sociological experiment. Its methods hurt property values, incubated crime and poverty, generated tremendous community resistance and, worst, ultimately failed the people it meant to help.
Smart Growth provides a better methodology with success stories to model. It centers on seamlessly weaving a mix of incomes into new and existing communities. By using design effectively, communities are strengthened, property values are enhanced, acceptance rises, and people of all economic backgrounds benefit.
Guiding Principles • Increase supply by loosening restrictions against low-cost housing such as townhouses, live-work spaces, and accessory dwelling units • Provide more scattered affordable units and promote mixed income neighborhoods • Reinvest in existing neighborhoods to improve the tax base and availability of jobs and amenities • Implement policies and revitalization practices that benefit existing residents and prevent their displacement • Reduce cost of living by increasing transportation choice • Create incentives for regional cooperation on affordable housing |
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Vision
Long Island |