Third post-pandemic Regional Plan Association/Global Strategy Group poll finds tri-state residents support ambitious policies to confront region’s challenges
Additional findings include frequent transit ridership has nearly doubled since March 2021; residents with household incomes under 100K more optimistic about region’s future
New York, NY – Amid crises of affordability and equity, tri-state region residents express support for measures to greatly increase affordable housing supply, significant expansion of transportation options, and clean energy according to the latest poll results released today by Regional Plan Association (RPA) and conducted by Global Strategy Group (GSG).
The New York Metro Outlook Index Score measures the level of satisfaction among tri-state region residents with eight aspects of life and presents one holistic metric for how residents are feeling two years after the pandemic first struck the region. The Index stands at a slightly satisfied 55 out of 100, essentially unchanged from October 2021, the last time this public opinion polling was conducted.
Although residents have a generally positive outlook on aspects of life in general, they believe crime, high cost of living, and housing affordability are the greatest threats to the region, with concerns about crime on the rise. Additionally, a third of the region’s residents are concerned about being evicted, rising to 43% among Black and Latinx residents.
Fortunately, strong support exists for policies to address these challenges. Residents were polled about several different measures to create more homes in the region and expressed support for the vast majority of them. 67% of respondents support legalizing basement and garage apartments to provide more housing options in the region, including 70% of respondents from Long Island, 10-point and 19-point increases since October 2021, respectively. Residents also support permitting the conversion of one-family homes into two-family homes and increasing density around train stations. Residents also made the connection between housing stability and lowering crime, with 65% agreeing with that statement.
“As we recover from the pandemic, the region is still facing a litany of challenges including affordability, crime, housing, quality of life, and transit accessibility,” said Tom Wright, President & CEO, Regional Plan Association. “Luckily, the region’s residents remain optimistic and open-minded to inventive solutions and policies to address these issues. It’s clear that we need to move forward with transformative priorities like ADU and TOD legislation; reimagining our streets through open restaurants, more bus lanes, and greenways; and meeting the challenge of climate change to help deliver an equitable region for everyone.”
“What stands out in this survey is the incredible resilience of New York-area residents,”said Justin Lapatine, Partner, Global Strategy Group. “Despite rising concerns about crime and greater economic anxiety driven by inflation and housing vulnerability, residents are still bullish on the region. They want to see their leaders take bold steps to address these challenges.”
Key findings from the poll data include:
Optimism has improved among households making less than $100,000 per year and declined among high-income residents. 41% of respondents making more than $100,000 per year are satisfied with the direction the region is heading in, a six-point drop since October. 44% of respondents making less than $100,000 per year are satisfied with the region’s direction, a four-point increase since October.
Residents continue to identify crime, high cost of living, and housing affordability as the biggest threats to the region. Crime (48%), the high cost of living (46%), and the ability to find affordable housing (28%) top the list of the biggest threats to the region, though residents also strongly support certain policies to address these challenges.
Residents are increasingly pessimistic about finances, likely due to inflation pressure. A majority (56%) of residents are uneasy about their personal financial situation over the next few months, a sharp uptick from October 2021 when 47% felt uneasy. Relatedly, 87% report inflation having at least some impact on their spending habits.
Residents prioritize affordable housing, higher wages, and addressing racial discrimination as the keys to addressing inequality. In order to address inequality, residents prioritize affordable housing (42%), higher wages (33%), and addressing racial discrimination (24%).
Transit ridership has increased steadily for the past 18 months. 35% of respondents are riding transit frequently, a nine-point increase since October 2021. At the same time, nearly a third of non-daily riders respondents (32%) cite concerns report not riding because they are worried about crime, another sharp uptick since October 2021.
Residents remain concerned about the impacts of climate change in their community and support policies to address them. More than three in four residents (76%) support requiring buildings to lower their greenhouse gas emissions, including 79% of New York City residents.
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