Author: roger

By Hunter Gross  December 17, 2024 11:35 am This guest essay reflects the views of Hunter Gross, vice president of the Huntington Township Housing Coalition. I was shocked by the rhetoric and vitriol spewed against my Huntington neighbors during a June 2023 Huntington Town board meeting regarding the expansion of accessory dwelling unit apartments. It truly made me question whether our town would be capable of making any progress on the issue of affordable housing. I wondered whether we would be able to ensure residents — old and young, those who grew up in our town and those looking to raise young families here — that they would be able to find an affordable place to live. Though the ADU expansion would have helped existing homeowners mitigate the costs of homeownership and provide a place to live for many, the Huntington Town board voted no on the proposal. Fast forward more than a year. NIMBYs and the Loud Minority tried to hijack another sound and reasonable solution to the housing crisis — Melville Town Center, a proposal to build modest housing and a vibrant, walkable downtown center in an underutilized office park with empty parking lots — that also will spur economic growth. This time, support for the proposal came from all over the township, and after a compromise was reached on lowering the number of units created, the town board did the right thing and voted to pass the legislation on Dec. 10 by a 3-1 margin. This was a surprise for a town that took nearly a half-century to start work on the Matinecock Court affordable housing development in East Northport. But the town board understood the dire need for housing and the economic consequences of not moving forward with Melville Town Center. Those who are in need of housing can celebrate this win. Young people from all walks of life, seniors of both political parties, and families of different backgrounds who are experiencing the housing crisis in Huntington can now look forward to affordable housing being built — this after years of reasonable housing projects being voted down or pulled from the town or zoning board agenda because the well-housed and well-to-do few didn’t want more housing for our less-well-off neighbors. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a Long Island trend of passing common sense solutions that kick-start the economy and give young professionals, working families, and seniors looking to downsize an opportunity to live in the townships in which they grew up. This guest essay reflects the views of Hunter Gross, vice president of the Huntington Township Housing Coalition.

HUNTINGTON – DEC. 11, 2024  –  The Huntington Township Housing Coalition has praised the Huntington Town Council for passing the Melville Town Center Plan on December 10 by a vote of three to one, with one abstention.  The coalition, a nonprofit advocacy organization that encourages development of affordable housing in the Town of Huntington, also thanked the large numbers of supporters who turned out at four public hearings to speak in favor of the proposal. “Adoption of the Melville Town Center plan is an important step toward ensuring the long-term economic health of the Town of Huntington,” said Roger Weaving, president of the Huntington Township Housing Coalition. “This innovative project will revitalize Melville by replacing underutilized office buildings with a vibrant and walkable downtown, supporting our tax base, and increasing the number and types of housing available to Huntington residents well into the future.” The plan, which creates an overlay zone, will ultimately allow up to 1,500 apartments to be built above stores, with 300 of these units designated as affordable. There will be a pause after the first 400 units are built, in part because more units than that will require additional sewer infrastructure. The first 400 units will include 80 affordable residences.  “Of course, this removes only one obstacle to getting anything actually built,” said Mr. Weaving. “The town will now hear proposals for specific developments, and each and every proposal will have to undertake the usual, state-mandated environmental studies, traffic studies, architectural review hearings and all the many, standard steps that always make building in Huntington an expensive proposition.” Mr. Weaving noted that one of the common tactics that opponents of projects like this use is to sue the town over new laws they do not like.  “We call upon those opposed to all building to exercise restraint and not cause further delays through frivolous lawsuits,” he said.  As an example of lengthy construction delays, he noted the lawsuits that were filed decades ago against Matinecock Court in East Northport, a 146-unit, fully affordable development. Mr. Weaving said the suits have cost the town millions of dollars — and also cost “an entire generation” the opportunity to remain in Huntington in housing they could afford by delaying construction by 45 years.  “It’s essential that our neighbors throughout the town work with the town to find acceptable solutions without causing undue delay and expense by suing,” he said. “Don’t just tell us ‘no.’ Instead, tell us how you want new housing to be built.” About the Huntington Township Housing Coalition The Huntington Township Housing Coalition is a nonprofit, advocacy organization that encourages the development of affordable new and rehabilitated homes, both rental and ownership, for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in the Town of Huntington. The coalition assesses and documents the degree of need; educates the public; identifies, monitors, and promotes affordable housing opportunities; and collaborates with a range of public and private organizations. Media contacts: Roger Weaving                                                                       Huntington Township Housing Coalition rwj44@gmail.com 631-793-1643 Steve Vitoff Huntington Township Housing Coalition stevevitoff@gmail.com 516-652-0785

The Huntington Township Housing Coalition (HTHC) has developed a 1 minute 24 second video as part of its campaign to support the Melville Town Centre (MTC) Development Plan in Huntington. A diverse group of 9 community members tells the viewer about the benefits of the MTC, including replacing the half-empty buildings and parking lots with a walkable downtown area with apartments, stores, restaurants and park space. To watch the MTC video, click WATCH VIDEO

HUNTINGTON, NY – Apr 7, 2024 – In an April 3 letter published in Huntington Now, the Huntington Township Housing Coalition (HTHC) has endorsed the proposed Melville Town Centre now being considered by the Huntington Town Board. The letter was written by HTHC vice president Hunter Gross. Melville Town Centre would create a walkable downtown with mixed use development entirely south of the Long Island Expressway. The plan aims to transform Melville into an economically viable region of Huntington, without diminishing the value of surrounding homes. The letter can be found here:  https://huntingtonnow.com/letter-opposition-to-melville-proposal-relies-on-backward-thinking/ About the Huntington Township Housing Coalition The Huntington Township Housing Coalition is a nonprofit, advocacy organization that encourages the development of affordable new and rehabilitated homes, both rental and ownership, for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in the Town of Huntington. The coalition assesses and documents the degree of need; educates the public; identifies, monitors, and promotes affordable housing opportunities; and collaborates with a range of public and private organizations. Media contact: Roger Weaving                                                                       Huntington Township Housing Coalition rwj44@gmail.com 631-793-1643

HUNTINGTON, NY – Apr 4, 2024 – The Huntington Township Housing Coalition (HTHC), a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes expansion of affordable housing in the Town of Huntington, is calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act, which would enable religious organizations to develop housing on their property. Largely modeled on the successes of California’s Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act, the bill (A-8386 and S-7791) would help create substantial affordable housing on what is typically untaxed land. According to data from the NYU Furman Center, as much as 4.6 billion square feet of housing could be unlocked across the state through the passage of this legislation. On Long Island, the bill would require that 20 percent of the housing units be affordable for a range of incomes at or below 80 percent of the region’s area median income. For a family of four, this would amount to between about $40,000 and $90,000 a year.  Participating houses of worship would be provided with comprehensive training and financial support through pre-development grant funding. A faith-based organization could manage the housing itself or lease the land to a third-party developer. Participating entities could use revenue from the housing as they pleased. The housing would be taxed like any other development and would not be subject to religious exemptions. “This timely legislation would leverage the unique strengths of faith communities to help Long Island overcome our severe housing shortage,” said Roger Weaving, president of HTHC. “The law would allow faith-based entities to leverage their underutilized lands to help Long Island overcome one of its most serious challenges. “Legislation would benefit faith-based organizations in multiple ways,” Mr. Weaving said. “It would enable them to strengthen their financial footing, stabilize both their physical properties and their operations, and help ensure their vibrant role within their communities for decades to come.” If passed, the proposal would allow religious institutions like temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues “to bypass local zoning laws that restrict their ability to develop their land,” as long as that new development includes affordable housing.  According to a recent Pew Research report, 75 percent of New Yorkers support a form of faith-based housing.  The bill has attracted bipartisan support on Long Island, including from Republican Assemblymember Jodi Giglio and Democratic Assemblymember Fred Thiele. “An acute housing shortage has cast a looming shadow” over Long Island, according to a December 2023 report by Bohler, a national real estate consulting firm. “Outdated apartments dot the landscape, with only 17.1 percent and 16.1 percent of Suffolk and Nassau counties allocated for rentals, respectively – falling well below the nationwide figure of 34.6 percent.” “The significance of the shortage transcends mere numbers,” Bohler reports. “It strikes at the core of the region’s workforce, creating a financial divide for many. A staggering 64 percent of Long Island renters find themselves unable to afford a typical two-bedroom apartment.” “The future of our regional economy is directly linked to our capacity to expand housing availability,” said Mr. Weaving. “To keep young professionals living and working here on Long Island, they need access to housing.”   The Long Island Association, the region’s largest business advocacy organization, has made housing availability one of its policy priorities for 2024, calling for the creation of “more available and affordable housing by providing incentives to municipalities, residents, and developers and to streamline the environmental and permitting process for builders.” According to a published report, the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council has stated that the rate of housing production in Nassau and Suffolk falls short of other suburbs at only seven units built per 1,000 residents in the past ten years, compared with 13 units per 1,000 residents in the Hudson Valley and 35 in northern New Jersey. About the Huntington Township Housing Coalition The Huntington Township Housing Coalition is a nonprofit, advocacy organization that encourages the development of affordable new and rehabilitated homes, both rental and ownership, for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in the Town of Huntington. The coalition assesses and documents the degree of need; educates the public; identifies, monitors, and promotes affordable housing opportunities; and collaborates with a range of public and private organizations. Media contact: Roger Weaving                                                                       Huntington Township Housing Coalition rwj44@gmail.com 631-793-1643

The Huntington Township Housing Coalition (HTHC) launched its new web site this week with a simpler URL:  hthcny.org.  In addition to the usual helpful tools like the listing of organizations that can help people obtain affordable housing, the glossary of housing terms, and news on local housing issues, the site contains for the first time a statement of core beliefs. “We felt it was important that the citizens of Huntington know that we too believe in a vision of the town much like they do,” said Roger Weaving, HTHC President.  “We believe in the three-story limit, and we believe that most of the town land should remain single-family homes and parks.  But we also believe there is a place for a variety of housing in the town, including affordable housing.” The development should also be done in an ecologically sustainable way.  “The Town already has requirements such as the requirement to trap all rain that falls on a person’s property, and they should continue to ensure that our groundwater is replenished and kept as clean as possible,” Weaving said.  The HTHC also believes that it is important in new development to shorten the distances between where people live, work, and play, as is often the case in transit-oriented development.  That helps reduce the number of miles people have to travel to work, reducing the effect of traffic over traditional models.  The town has some interesting plans for a Melville downtown that would fall into this category. For further information, contact Roger Weaving, President, at rwjr44@gmail.com, 631-793-1643

For Immediate Release The Huntington Township Housing Coalition (HTHC) has announced its new slate of officers for 2024.  Swapping positions, Roger Weaving will be stepping back into the President’s role while Hunter Gross will be active in the Vice President role.  Dick Koubek will remain the secretary and Lourdes Pena steps in as Treasurer. “We try to rotate the positions so that we have as many people as possible get leadership experience,” said Weaving.  “As an all-volunteer organization, we try to make sure the people who have the most available time can assume the roles that require the most participation”. The focus in 2024 is going to be on education on housing issues.  Weaving further noted “We heard a lot of misinformation at the recent Town Board meeting about ADUs.  With two new board members, we want to be sure that everyone understands the facts and that the citizens who have been fed misinformation have access to the real facts about the need for a variety of housing choices in Huntington.” The Huntington Township Housing Coalition is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage the development of affordable new and rehabilitated homes, both rental and ownership, for low and moderate income individuals and families in Huntington, NY. For further information, contact Roger Weaving at contact@huntingtonhousingcoalition.org, 631-793-1643.