By Delia DeRiggi-Whitton
Nassau County Legislator
As an elected official and a fellow Democrat, I urge New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and our state representatives not to adopt the housing proposal in its current form as part of the forthcoming state budget.
One of the most amazing things about New York State is the diverse options of places to live, including rural towns, suburban bedroom communities, bustling metropolitan areas and everything in between. As a result of this diversity, communities across our state are presented with different and unique challenges.
On Long Island, we face a unique issue of living on top of our drinking water, and the threat of saltwater intrusion caused by overdrawing from our single-source aquifer something we must always be vigilant about preventing. We must also be especially cognizant of traffic problems. Anyone traveling, especially at rush hour, knows how congested our roadways have become – and sometimes, it has taken me 40 minutes to travel from Mineola to Glen Cove. And last but certainly not least, many of our schools' face budget concerns and overcrowding and would struggle to take on more students.
Local governments are very well attuned to the specific needs and challenges facing the communities they serve. Unfortunately, the Governor’s current proposal would undermine local control by establishing minimum benchmarks for affordable housing growth – and creating a mechanism by which developers can do an end-run around local zoning if those benchmarks are not met. To have the state come in and impose a one-size-fits-all mandate is, in my opinion, truly irresponsible and counterproductive.
Much like bail reform in previous years, the crucial issue of affordable housing is being linked to the Governor’s budget proposal, placing undue duress on state representatives to make an all-or-nothing vote for or against the entire budget. I once again implore our state officials to hear the voices of local community leaders, environmental experts, first responders and their partners in government to oppose the proposal in its current form.
Let’s instead go back to the drawing board, take away the threats of state mandates, and work more closely with local towns, counties, villages, and cities to identify community-driven opportunities to incentivize revitalization, smart growth, and new transit-oriented development that will carry us all toward a more prosperous future.
Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, of Glen Cove, a Nassau County legislator representing the 11th District, is the ranking member of the Legislature’s Committee on Health & Social Services.