Listen to this articleEmpires State Development has launched the Long Island Forward Housing Program (LIFHP). The $10 million effort aims to expand housing in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
LIFHP is the result of a winning proposal developed by the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council (LIREDC) through New York State’s Regional Council Challenge Competition.
The program will include no-cost technical assistance to local municipalities that aim to develop multifamily housing and redevelop underutilized properties. It is designed to assist with the revitalization of neighborhoods while also fostering economic growth and boosting housing availability in the region.
The program “represents a strategic investment in Long Island’s future, empowering local communities with the resources they need to create vibrant, affordable neighborhoods where all New Yorkers can thrive,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release about the initiative.
“By providing technical expertise to help municipalities transform underutilized spaces into vibrant housing developments, we’re addressing critical housing needs while fostering economic growth,” Hope Knight, president and chief executive of ESD said in the news release.
The LIFHP “directly addresses our region’s most pressing economic challenge – the lack of diverse, affordable housing options that are critical to retaining young talent and supporting our small businesses,” LIREDC Co-Chairs Linda Armyn, president at CEO of FourLeaf Federal Credit Union and Kimberly Cline, president of Long Island University, said in the news release.
Based on the needs expressed in the applications, ESD will work to identify the appropriate level of technical assistance for each eligible applicant. Rather than providing direct grants, ESD will fund professional services delivered by selected technical assistance vendors in areas such as appraisal, architectural and engineering, economic impact analysis for development scenarios, environmental impact statements and state environmental quality reviews, evaluation of publicly owned properties and development possibilities, financial feasibility analysis, market studies and more.
Projects will be considered based on criteria including alignment with LIFHP priorities, proximity to Long Island Railroad stations or downtown areas, commitment to affordable housing, adaptive reuse proposals and redevelopment of blighted sites and Pro-Housing Community designation
“As a certified Pro-Housing Community, Westbury welcomes LIFHP as an addition to the toolkit to assist municipalities like ours to advance our plans and goals related to transit oriented development,” Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro said in the news release.
“These additional resources will further to assist in the efforts by communities that are suitable for additional housing development,” he added. “We’ve seen that when local communities are incentivized, and provided the needed resources, there is no better way to achieve the goal of adding housing to the region.”
“In East Hampton, we know that housing challenges impact the people who make our community strong- hard working families, young people, and seniors. The Long Island Forward Housing Program will help us create opportunities for more people to live and work in the community they love, serve, and grew up in,” East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said in the news release.
“The Village of Mineola has been leading the way in developing smart, locally planned, transit-oriented developments for years and as the first Pro-Housing Community on Long Island, the state has been extremely supportive by offering grant opportunities for both technical and capital projects alike. The LIFHP is another example of services that the Village of Mineola will be looking to take advantage of and I encourage other local governments to do the same,” Mayor of Mineola Paul Pereira said in the news release.
“If we want to keep our seniors here on Long Island and give our next generation a real chance to build a future close to home, we must continue supporting programs like this that strengthen our communities and grow our economy,” Town of Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in the news release.
Interested municipalities must submit a letter of intent to ESD, after which they may be invited to submit a full application through the Consolidated Funding Application portal. For more information or questions, municipalities can contact the ESD Long Island Regional Office at 631-435-0717 or email [email protected].
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