Build on progress made on LI housing

There's a popular mindset that housing never  gets built here, that redevelopment doesn't happen here, that the old suburban economic model will remain an old suburban economic model.

Tell that to the many communities regionwide in various stages of adding housing and revitalizing downtowns.

Examples are not limited to those most often discussed such as Westbury, Mineola and Patchogue. Look at towns like Smithtown and Riverhead, at villages like Lindenhurst, Amityville and Greenport, and at hamlets like Hicksville, West Hempstead, Bay Shore and Mastic Beach.

Just in recent weeks, success stories have unfolded. Mastic Beach and Smithtown selected large Long Island developers — Jericho's Beechwood Organization and East Setauket's Tritec, respectively — to handle needed redevelopment. Lindenhurst, which already has new apartments and is further along in the process, announced proposals for projects it hopes to fund with its $4.5 million state NY Forward award. And the Riverhead Town board approved a site plan for a 133-unit apartment complex.

In Hicksville, demolition began on a blighted site, paving the way for a mixed-use development with 189 apartments more than six years after the Town of Oyster Bay won the state's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant in 2017. Westbury moved more quickly. The village was the first DRI recipient, in 2016, and now has completed its efforts under that grant with mixed-use buildings and apartments, a pedestrian plaza, street and facade improvements, and renovated community buildings.

These are triumphs in a landscape riddled with roadblocks and delays. Lessons emerge. State funding processes can be difficult to navigate; local officials with projects underway are available to help those starting out. The unfortunate delays that occurred in Hicksville show the need for more compromise, less finger-pointing, strong leadership, and a willingness to move forward. The recent progress there is a laudable sign that Hicksville, too, is on a forward-looking path.

These communities and others should learn from one another by coming together on a regional basis and sharing best practices, problem-solving strategies, and cautionary tales. In every case, affordability must become a larger part of the housing conversation. While the demand for more housing overall, especially affordable multifamily housing, is being heard, the need is still acute.

These steps forward come as Gov. Kathy Hochul focuses on creating incentives for housing development. State officials should recognize Long Island's changing housing outlook. By opening the Long Island Investment Fund to housing proposals and encouraging communities to apply for the pro-housing designation,  the state is providing the rig ht tools. But the process should be simplified to make it easier for Long Island municipalities to take advantage.

There's more to do. But as each piece falls into place, the potential for what's possible becomes more real. And that's a success story.