CASTLES IN THE SAND: A PRIMER ON HOUSING IN LONG BEACH

On a barrier beach, there is not a lot of space to live. Faced with geographical constraint, along with the great appeal of our community, mixed with the usual political intrigue, Long Beach housing is a key and questioned social issue that greatly impacts quality of life.  Usually, privately owned and occupied houses are not part of question and controversy. The community discussion on housing comes in other categories: Senior buildings, “projects,” Section 8, “affordable housing”, “variance conversions”, “immoral housing,” and “illegal housing (rentals.)  Each category deserves a review

Senior housing:  Long Beach has four Senior buildings administered by the Long Beach Housing Authority: at Magnolia and West Broadway, Edwards and East Broadway, National and West Chester, and Magnolia and West Park. These “senior” buildings are actually for Seniors and disabled persons.  They are several-storied apartment buildings, tailored with many adaptations for the safe passage of elderly and infirm.  It is always possible that there could be more Senior buildings developed (for instance, out of a failed nursing home or a converted general apartment building) but there are no current plans at this time.  There is a significant waiting list to get an apartment in a Senior building at this time.  Preference is given to residents of Long Beach.

“Projects”:  There is only one “project” housing complex in Long Beach: the Channel Park Homes. Channel Park are uniform two-story buildings in quadrant formation on National Boulevard and the bay.  Selection of tenants is income-based, and there is a significant waiting list to get a unit. Channel Park is administered by the Long Beach Housing Authority.

Section 8:  Section 8 is a program in which the government subsidizes rent payments in part or in whole to a low-income person.  Section 8 housing can be one-family, two-family, multi-family or apartment buildings.  An owner indicates availability of his house for Section 8 and a tenant is matched.  The subsidized portion is sent to the landlord by the government, and the balance is paid by the tenant.  Section 8 housing is limited and there is a waiting list.  The program is administered by the Long Beach Housing Authority.  The LBHA refers many tenants to Section 8 housing, but there are also tenants sent by the Nassau County housing department.  Neighbors sometimes oppose saturation of Section 8 housing because of a perceived correlation between low income and other social problems.

“Affordable housing”:  This is a shifty catch phrase.  It usually means “inexpensive housing.”  Proponents say affordable housing is a just endeavor for the working poor and helps keep “young people just starting out” in town. Opponents claim affordable housing generally lowers property values City-wide and is just “looking for trouble.”  The next possible area that will be discussed for affordable housing or otherwise seems to be future development of the old incinerator site.

“Conversion and Variance housing”:  There is recurring discussion in Long Beach over one family houses’ being converted to two-family structures.  Home owners or developers must apply for a variance to make a conversion. Often, there are objections because of congestion or alteration of the appearance of the neighborhood.  But for owners and developers, they often feel that two-family conversion is the only way for their property to be profitable.  Variances are adjudicated by the City Building Department and / or by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

“Immoral housing”:  Here I refer to private houses in which the usually absentee property-owning landlord has allowed his owner-occupied or rented premises to become dangerous for residents.  This includes allowing the premises to become over-crowded fire traps, or when he “cuts corners” by not maintaining structural integrity, perimeter access or working electrical, heating or sanitation facilities.  Such housing can lead to criminal charges:  This past month, a Hempstead landlord was charged criminally for dilapidated conditions in a house he owned in which two people died in a fire. Decrepit housing issues are best addressed by complaints to the Long Beach Building Department.

Illegal housing and rentals:  Finally we come to what is probably the most pervasive problem to neighborhoods and one that arguably is most in the control of City government to address: illegal rentals.  These are houses that function contrary to City Code, usually referring to “illegal two-family conversions" of a basement or attic.

A single-family residential home is a symbol of suburbia. Residents deserve to enjoy and maintain the suburban flavor of their community. However, the growing complexity and diversity of our City sometimes requires flexibility and innovation to address housing needs.  Preserving the single-family suburban flavor opinion is balanced by consideration for a home owner's right to use his property as he wants, and for a consideration of housing needs of those who wish to live in town but cannot buy their own house. 

No doubt, illegal rentals create many problems for a suburban neighborhood.  Roads, water and power are at risk to be used at a capacity for which they were not designed. Neighborhoods become congested, and taxes are not fairly assessed. Abuse of illegal rentals risks destabilizing entire neighborhoods. Conversions create the risk of construction being done without permits, making for dangerous structural situations. Many single-family homeowners who are compliant with zoning resent the illegal rentals and the ill-gotten gain of non-complying landlords, who frequently do not report their rental incomes.

I also understand that many people modify their homes and rent parts of it contrary to zoning restriction in order to be able to afford to stay in their community.  Maybe there can be compromises.   How about a period of "amnesty" to allow home owners of dwellings not currently in compliance to conform to reasonable modified zoning standards, and to be allowed to continue their rentals for a fee to be paid to the municipality?  This will take these houses from being "black-market rentals" to become an opportunity to derive responsible benefit from one's property.  After a period of applying for amnesty, the City should then vigorously enforce present housing codes. 

Municipalities take different routes to attack the problem.  Brookhaven Township recently launched a vigorous crackdown of enforcement, which included a whopping twenty-eight thousand dollar fine against a landlord for code violations in Stony Brook. On the other hand, “amnesty” was recently proposed, although tabled, by the North Hempstead Town Board over housing issues in the New Cassell area of Westbury. 

Like many government offers of amnesty, those who operate outside the law are not going to “out themselves” in any way.  In this case, the City should go all-out with a vigorous and sustained drive to locate and prosecute illegal rentals.  Superstorm Sandy revealed the extent of illegal rentals as thousands were washed out of basement apartments and losing their household items. Because of the illegal rentals, many of the homes could not be insured for the damage.  People do not belong in cellars and in the shadow, off the community radar screen.  Call on City leaders to do something about it.