A housing advocacy organization is reaching out to Huntington residents and asking them to get involved in housing issues.
Hunter Gross, president of the Huntington Township Housing Coalition, said the group began texting residents Monday, reaching out to an estimated 20,000 in the first round of contact.
He said the area lacks affordable housing, forcing young people, in particular, to leave Long Island in search of more affordable housing in other parts of the country.
He wants to get younger people organized to influence local housing policies, including code changes that would allow for the development of more affordable housing.
Basement apartments, transit-oriented districts and projects that would create more affordable housing, both houses and apartments, and accessory dwelling units known as ADUs, are part of the coalition’s agenda. Gross said, “If not us, who will?”
“Housing shouldn’t be treated like a private club,” he said.
A text sent Monday read, “Are your young adult children having a hard time finding housing in the Town of Huntington? Are your parents planning on leaving Long Island due to unsustainable housing prices? We have a major housing crisis in Huntington. There is a critical lack of affordable housing as well as almost no affordable rental options, and housing prices continue to skyrocket to ridiculous levels year after year. Learn how the Huntington Township Housing Coalition is fighting for more housing options and solutions. Together, we can ease the Huntington housing crisis!”
The cost of housing has become a major issue across the country, with some states changing laws to limit single-family zoning requirements in some communities, or banning policies that make accessing housing more difficult for low or moderate-income tenants or prospective homeowners. Cities and suburbs alike are arguing over how to provide more housing opportunities as the cost of housing skyrockets, putting decent housing out of the reach for many people.