Purpose: To promote diversity of home type and Affordability and location to employment, and community facilities to lessen automobile dependence, and broaden access to job markets.
ABCO makes the following recommendations:
a. Affordable housing should not be built in bulk. We should not concentrate low income residents in isolated areas. Such concentration serves only to produce ghettos of concentrated poverty. Instead we should concentrate on building neighborhoods and subdivisions which offer a mix of housing, and price options.
b. Suffolk County should encourage the provision of affordable units through such housing options as granny flats, and residences above stores.
c. Affordable units should be equitably dispersed. That is each community should carry its fair share. We, therefore, recommend that receiving parcels be located in the same school districts as sending parcels.
d. We, further, suggest Suffolk County examine the Maryland model which has let developers build 22% more units than they would normally be allowed, with the requirement that 15% of the additional units be ³moderately priced.² The program not optional..
e. ABCO stresses that the definition of affordability needs to include more than just the cost of housing. It needs to include issues such as energy efficient design, things like insulation, and landscaping need to be considered to make a home an affordable place to live. We, therefore, recommend that Suffolk County examine incentives which encourage energy efficient design.
f. Affordable housing needs to be sited conveniently, so that amenities are accessible. The average ownership of an automobile costs $6000 per year for a two year old vehicle. This price tag is obviously out of reach of those who are struggling economically.
g. Affordable units should fit within their context. They should not look appreciably different from more expensive units. The difference should be in floor space, and other hidden amenities.
h. Further public benefits such as recreational opportunities should be included within subdivision proposals, or these should be within walking distance.
i. Finally, Suffolk County should work on correcting troubled projects which currently exist. If communities are to accept additional affordable housing, then we need to go in to the projects that are not working, and that are currently creating a burden on host communities and fix them.
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