Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) today was joined by Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald Clavin, Eric Swenson of the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, Senator Steve Rhoads, Senator Dean Murray, and local officials from across Long Island and the state to rally against “Hochul’s High Rise Plan,” a proposal the governor is looking to include in this year’s state budget.
According to Ra, Gov. Hochul is seeking to “radically alter suburban lifestyle” by rapidly building multi-story high rises in single family neighborhoods. Her “housing crisis” plan calls for the removal of local municipality decision making about the direction and character of their neighborhood and instead build high rise apartments and condos based on a bureaucratic formula.
Hochul’s High Rise plan, Ra says, would force urban building in traditional and established suburban communities, with no ability for the local governments to stop it.
“The true ‘housing crisis’ we have in New York isn’t lack of housing; it’s millions of New Yorkers struggling to afford what they have,” said Ra.
“A surge of housing and new residents would have a detrimental impact on critical services each community relies on like water, especially on Long Island as there is only one aquifer which is the sole source of water for the island, emergency services, schools, hospitals, sewers and waste management, and would lead to an accelerated strain on local roads and bridges with additional road traffic.
“Being able to accommodate these services would require a significant tax increase on current single-family homes and businesses that have forever made up the fabric of these communities. The “Hochul High Rise Plan” must be stopped and not included in the final state budget. The livelihood and fabric of the suburban way of life depends on it.”
