Long Island Press published an op-ed this week written by RPA’s Chis Jones and David Sabatino sharing recent research on Long Island’s housing needs and strategies for achieving greater affordability and addressing the island’s multifamily housing shortage.

The research, published by the Long Island Index partnering with RPA, paints a stark picture of the current housing market on Long Island.

“There is no question that Long Island needs more housing that average residents can afford. According to studies, people living in Nassau and Suffolk counties pay a higher share of their income for housing than other suburbs in the New York region, and new housing coming on the market costs too much for a majority of residents, especially young adults just starting their careers. As a result, 20-something Long Islanders live with parents or other older relatives at more than twice the national average. Over the past 25 years, Long Island has lost a greater share of its younger residents—16 percent—than other parts of the region have. By comparison, New York City’s population of younger adults has grown by 8 percent.”

How can LI’s towns and villages address these issues? Modest zoning changes can go a long way toward promoting housing development and reducing housing costs, say Jones and Sabatino.

To learn more, read the full op-ed in the Long Island Press, or dig into the Long Island Index study: Long Island’s Needs for Multifamily Housing.

Cartoon by Walt Handelsman