Illegal housing units need attention

Illegal housing units need attention

Many families moved to the suburbs for their piece of America more than 50 years ago, when Long Island was country. Unfortunately, today our towns are inundated with illegal apartments, which are not taxed as such ["Hochul pulls housing plan," News, Feb. 18].

If everyone is so against making them legal, then why haven't our local governments enforced the laws? They turn a blind eye to multiple meters on houses and garages that house all these illegal apartments. How about landlords who rent out mattress space? This is missed revenue that puts a burden on homeowners, schools, fire departments, police, etc.

Why not make these landlords pay additional tax and take responsibility for their property? How about the absentee landlords who reap the rent money and don’t care about the neighborhood?

Those of us who live in towns have no defense and are ignored by local governments about upholding the law on these illegal dwellings.

Barbara Keilty Michaleski, West Hempstead

Long Island’s affordable housing "needs" run counter to its need for clean water ["Housing plan worth retooling," Editorial, Feb. 22]. Our sole source of water, our aquifers, cannot sustain further development, period. We must learn how to live with no growth. Affordability is a function of costs, and our taxes are way too high.

Affordable housing is a key concern, not only for Long Island but across the tristate area. I believe focusing on New York City should be the highest and first priority. Let’s take the city's vacant lands to build at least 1 million truly affordable, low-income housing units, to be subsidized in part by the state. This transit-oriented, rapid development should be run by public and/or private enterprises other than the city’s lackluster Housing Authority.

Let’s have everyone come together to get these things done and improve our lives.

Ray Roel, East Northport

It is fascinating to read the articles, editorials and pros and cons regarding Gov. Kathy Hochul's rescinded accessory housing proposal. It almost seems as if the idea of basement apartments, garage conversions, exterior staircases, and mother-daughter conversions are somehow a new concept . Where I live, if a house hasn't been converted into some type of multiple family dwelling, it is unique. Most are not registered with the town and therefore are taxed as single-family dwellings. Garbage days are exciting because of the multifamily piles, and the school buses stay busy picking up lots of kids. I think it is important to recognize the existence of these arrangements and that the real estate taxes should reflect the use of services.

Bob Rotunda, Islip

My wife and I moved to Nassau County from Queens 46 years ago to get away from the "hustle and bustle" of congested city life and crowded places. But we have seen both Nassau and Suffolk counties become too crowded with more people, more traffic, more construction, more of too many things. The governor’s proposal would have destroyed the small-town look and feel of Long Island. We are glad she reconsidered this horrible proposal, which also would have brought down housing values that property owners have taken years to build up.

Don Otlin, Franklin Square

The following comments appeared in an email I had received from the Town of Oyster Bay: "Dozens of angry and outraged officials at the state, county, town, city and village levels joined to denounce the state’s plan to eliminate single family home zoning across the state. This means that thousands of new apartments, residents, and cars, could flood your neighborhood, and dozens on your block alone." 

Maybe the Town of Oyster Bay should have been paying attention to the outrage from Hicksville residents who have been complaining for years about illegal apartments, excessive parking, excessive garbage and lack of code enforcement.

Elizabeth Leyser, Hicksville

Russia has forfeited Security Council seat

Russia has grossly violated the United Nations' main objectives of being the keeper of international peace and security, the promotion of the well-being of the world's people , and international cooperation to these ends ["Putin: Military operation set in Ukraine," News, Feb. 24].

Russia has thus forfeited its right to be a permanent (or nonpermanent) member of the UN Security Council.

Kurt Miller, Plainview

The overarching reason that Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared war on the Ukraine is this — his pride. To Putin, the collapse of the Soviet Union was a monumental tragedy, and its demise was a dagger in Putin’s heart. Ever since Ukraine regained its independence, its sovereignty continually reminded him of the Soviet Union’s loss of power and glory. The world moved on; Putin hasn’t. As with all power-hungry, demagogues throughout history, power — and its expansion — is the only thing that matters.

Martin Geller, Manhasset

There is no justification for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A new harsher wave of sanctions will not stop Russian aggression, and they will not stop until they take over the government. This is an atrocity to world peace and a sad day for the whole world.

Martin Blumberg, Melville

We must learn how to develop a conscience

I'm concerned with parents all over this country trying to protect their children from learning about the horrors that people have committed against each other ["Opening windows on definition of racism," Opinion, Feb. 10]. I'm concerned because what the world needs more than ever is an education in the ways of developing a conscience. The sooner in life we start this education the better off we will be. We develop a conscience by facing our inhumanities and trying to improve upon them. We develop a conscience by turning our need for independence into a need for interdependence. Individuals are woven into the fabric of something greater than themselves. The challenge of our times is to accept our condition of interdependence and solidarity with some 8 billion humans all over this planet. Life is like an orchestra that blends all the different races, languages, religions, cultures and points of view into one magnificent opus.

Jules Jacobs, East Islip