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Long Island Index Blog
A vibrant discussion about the past, present, and future of our region.
Why build in our downtowns?
Why Is It So Hard to Build Multifamily Housing on Long Island?
Long Island – world-renowned for its single-family homes – has fewer multifamily housing options than other suburbs near New York City. We have fewer rentals than our suburban neighbors in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York; we pay more in rent, and we have less housing near transit stations. Not surprisingly, Long Island’s population between
View MoreHome Rule, Obstructionism Threatening LI’s Future
By Long Island standards, Rockville Centre is a development whirlwind these days, as AvalonBay Communities, Inc. begins construction on 165 new apartments, just two years after taking title to the property. “We’re moving and shaking in Rockville Centre!” said a pleased Mayor Francis X. Murray. It had taken 10 years of lawsuits and angst to
View MoreUnconventional Wisdom from John Kominicki: In Global Warming, it’s Not That Tough to Keep Your Cool
Good news, fellow humanoids. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere didn’t increase in 2015, for the second year running. Bigger news: This is the first time emissions have fallen or remained flat without a giant economic meltdown of some sort. In other words, we managed to cut the spew of energy-related carbon even
View MoreMemo to Zoning Boards, Town Boards, Village Councils, Planning Commissions
Mind the Gap
New Interactive Map Shows Where Long Island Has Multifamily Housing
Long Island makes planning decisions locally but competes for business regionally, and it’s currently losing out because it lacks sufficient housing options, especially for young Long Islanders who are leaving the area in dramatic numbers. A key step in tackling the problem is to understand where multifamily housing exists (or is absent), an understanding local
View MoreUnconventional Wisdom from John Kominicki: Gov. Cuomo’s Third Track Express is Wisely Asking Folks to get on Board
One of Samuel Goldwyn’s best lines: “It’s absolutely impossible, but it has possibilities.” The same might be said for the proposed third track of the Long Island Rail Road. First suggested more than a decade ago, the extra rails would clear a bottleneck between Hicksville and Floral Park, where five LIRR branches carrying more than
View MoreThreat to Our Water Quality Demands Action
Long Island is facing its greatest economic and environmental challenge ever. The quality of the source of our drinking water and surface water has declined precipitously. We’re seeing it everywhere. Beaches are closing. So are shellfish beds. Hundreds of thousands of fish have been killed. Turtles, too. Why? The answer is nitrogen contamination. It comes
View MoreUnconventional Wisdom from John Kominicki
Changing housing preferences are chipping away at the old block
View MoreOp-Ed: Here’s How Towns and Villages Can Fix Long Island’s Critical Housing Shortage
Long Island faces a critical need for multifamily housing. This challenge needs to be addressed locally through actions that require sound planning and an engaged community. The good news is that small modifications in zoning can generate the housing Long Island needs, if only enough towns and villages embrace the changes. There is no question
View MoreOP-Ed: Help Young Long Islanders Find Places Here They Can Afford
More than ever, Long Island residents are struggling to pay for housing. Since 1980, the Island has lagged behind regional competitors like Northern New Jersey and the Hudson Valley in residential construction. With comparatively little new housing stock and variety, home prices and rents in Long Island have soared. That has made those other areas more
View MoreA Cartoonist’s View from Walt Handelsman
Unconventional Wisdom from John Kominicki
There’s been an enormous uptick in entrepreneurial activity in our country over the past decade, a surge not seen since the days of Edison and Tesla.
View MoreUnconventional Wisdom from John Kominicki
What happens when the cost of living makes living here unlivable? It’s no surprise that almost 75 percent of young Long Islanders say they expect to move away over the next five years to find better-paying jobs and cheaper rents.
View MoreUnconventional Wisdom from John Kominicki
70 percent of young Long Islanders – the 18 to 34 crowd – said they will likely leave within the next five years to find more affordable digs.
View MoreOp-Ed: Give Millennials Housing Options They Need to Stay Here
Long Islanders want more housing options, and the economic growth of the region requires them. The good news is that two recent studies by the Long Island Index, a project of the Rauch Foundation, highlight the specific challenge and reveal a way to overcome it. Two dramatic shifts in housing needs have emerged that necessitate
View MoreA Cartoonist’s View from Walt Handelsman
20-something Long Islanders live with parents or other older relatives at more than twice the national average.
View MoreUnconventional Wisdom from John Kominicki
Apartment development claws its way back on Long Island.
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