Does Jeffries' path to the gavel run through Hempstead?

Daily Point

Aspiring to be speaker, Jeffries looks to the local

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, on Sunday happened to attend the church where Village of Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. is known as Bishop Hobbs.

Jeffries these days has been scrambling in preparation for next year’s Congressional races. If successful in turning enough seats blue around the country, Jeffries would become the next speaker. And the 4th Congressional District, which includes Hempstead Village, is one of several high-priority districts that turned Republican from Democratic last year and Jeffries heatedly seeks to win back.

But while a few Nassau politicos have noticed social-media postings of the visit, the Coney Island Cathedral — where Hobbs is senior pastor — is in fact located within Jeffries’ Brooklyn CD8. That’s where Jeffries visited over the weekend. And Hobbs assured The Point that there is no link between the congressional scramble on Long Island and the pol’s drop-in.

“He visited because it’s his district,” Hobbs said, “I’ve always operated, as mayor, based on who best serves the Village of Hempstead. It’s not about parties, but about who can deliver.”

For example, he says he and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin have “a great working relationship.” As to CD4, where first-term GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito is expected to seek reelection, Hobbs said firmly he’s not agreed to back anyone, and made “no decisions as of yet.” Hobbs, a Democrat who was elected with full party backing in 2021, says his focus is on governance, including downtown development.

Hobbs added: “I met with D’Esposito, but as of yet, he hasn’t delivered anything for Hempstead.”

Campaigning anew for a House seat in Long Island's 4th Congressional District, Democrat Laura Gillen on May 10 announced endorsements from five Hempstead Village officials — including Hobbs. After this item was published Friday, Hobbs acknowledged telling Gillen she would have his support in the race. 

— Dan Janison dan.janison@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Trumped out

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Final Point

NYS debuts housing data dashboard

Earlier this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul took significant executive actions to try to address New York's housing crisis. That was followed by the launch of a housing data dashboard on the state website, providing statistics and information on housing and zoning trends across the state. This interactive map, built in-house by a state IT team, uses census data starting in 2010 to give insights into population trends, housing stock, owner-occupied and renter-occupied units, as well as rent statistics across the state.

For example, in the last 10 years, the village of Patchogue has seen an increase in housing permits issued, with 193 new ones granted. Of its more than 12,000 residents, only 51.6% own their homes. By comparison, in the village of Massapequa Park, 93.8% of the residents own their homes and only 34 housing construction permits were awarded in the last decade.

Back in March, a U.S. Census Bureau population estimate for the metropolitan area indicated a potential shift toward Long Island as the region experienced net positive migration from 2020 to 2021. In 2021, Suffolk County experienced the largest gain in population, with an increase of more than 11,000 residents. Despite that, both Nassau and Suffolk counties saw declines of over 7,000 residents in 2022, signaling a reversal of the growth trend.

Long Island’s housing shortage is not a new topic. In 2019, a nextLI next generation survey found that 67% of 18- to 34-year-olds interviewed at the time planned to move away from Long Island for more affordable housing. This new dashboard now gives lawmakers and residents a bigger picture. While data on housing trends is available across various platforms, the current dashboard stands out as a one-stop shop for all the necessary information. The only thing missing is zoning and building permit data, which state officials say they hope to gather from the municipalities in the future.

— Coralie Saint-Louis coralie.saint-louis@newsday.com