Monday, November 9, 2026
Fourth in a series on housing on Long Island.
Communities across Long Island often fall into one of two camps: those in favor of new developments, and those against.
For some residents, the common refrain is “Not in my backyard!” — disapproving of the construction of new residential and commercial projects near where they live. The would-be neighbors of these developments are directly affected by their construction in the short term, and often see lifestyle changes for years to come.
Marge Congello, president of the Central Bellmore Homeowners Association, disapproved of recent plans to develop an apartment building on Bedford Avenue in Bellmore. After attending a public event reviewing the proposal, she described the project as “too robust.”
“Am I against apartment buildings? No, but I think that there’s becoming an influx of them in Nassau County,” Congello said. “The builder wants to make money, the developer wants to make money, and then they go live somewhere else. They’re not living in my backyard.
“There were lots of issues,” she added of the Bedford Avenue proposal. “There’s the traffic congestion that comes along with the overdevelopment. There’s the overburdening of utilities that comes along — the overburdening of schools and emergency services.”
Congello cited the loss of green space to new real estate developments as a major cause for concern, describing it as a type of urbanization that disrupts Nassau and Suffolk counties’ way of life.
“You can’t go and change the zoning in a residential area to allow an apartment building and then ‘save our suburbs,’” she said. “You can’t have both.”
Congello has been a member of Bellmore’s homeowners’ association for 25 years, serving as “the eyes and the ears for the local residents,” she said.
“We’re here to protect the quality of life that we feel very strongly about, not to hurt any businesses,” she said. “It’s definitely not about stopping growth, but it’s maintaining both.”
Congello’s criticisms of overdevelopment extend beyond apartment projects. She was a prominent voice of the Say No to the Casino movement, which opposed plans by Las Vegas Sands to build a casino resort in Uniondale. She worked with Pearl Jacobs, president of the Nostrand Gardens Civic Association, who shares similar concerns about overdevelopment.
“Our main priority is maintaining and improving the quality of life here in Uniondale and all of Nassau County,” Jacobs said.
Another housing program Jacobs regarded with skepticism was accessory dwelling units — an initiative spearheaded by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2024 state budget talks to add extensions to existing homes to create more — and less expensive — living spaces.
“ADUs — the vast majority of people that I speak with are totally against it,” Jacobs said. “With ADUs, they come with more people, more cars.”
While accessory units may not be a welcome solution, Jacobs acknowledges a need for housing on Long Island. “I do believe that there should be some affordable housing,” she said. “We want to retain our children and our grandchildren. We want them to stay here.”
On the flip side . . .
Other community activists disagree, welcoming new projects with open arms as YIMBYs — “Yes, in my backyard!”
According to Hunter Gross, vice president of the Hempstead Housing Coalition, combating the NIMBY movement remains a challenge. When towns hold meetings on housing projects — such as apartment buildings with affordable units — the key demographic those projects aim to serve is usually underrepresented, Gross noted. Instead, he said, the attendees are often homeowners, many of them older than the group that would benefit most.
New York state’s 2025 Nassau County Rent Guidelines Board explanatory statement — compiled by the state’s Home and Community Renewal agency — reports that 81.9 percent of homes in the county are owner-occupied, and 18.1 percent are renter-occupied in the county.
“You’re always going to have people who show up who don’t have valid concerns about the project,” Gross said. “It creates this sentiment that every single person is objecting to a housing project.
“Oftentimes, elected officials listen to the loudest people in the room,” he continued. “I don’t think economic development and housing policy should be dictated by the small minority of people.”
The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that about 40 percent of people in need of affordable housing are in the workforce, with 42 percent working more than 40 hours a week. As well, 33 percent of extremely-low-income households are seniors, and 18 percent are people with disabilities.
The dynamic often becomes one of “ladder-pulling,” when homeowners block opportunities for those trying to enter the market, Gross said.
He recalled an older man at a Sayville public hearing saying that he had worked multiple jobs to afford living on Long Island. Gross responded that he also juggles more than two jobs, but structural issues like wages failing to keep pace with inflation leave younger workers at a disadvantage.
“It has nothing to do with you working hard enough,” he said.
Gross also noted that homes bought decades ago would be unaffordable for those same buyers today. In a 2024 survey conducted by the real estate brokerage Redfin, nearly 40 percent of homeowners said they could not afford their homes if they were purchasing them now. Redfin cited population growth, housing shortages and rising mortgage rates as explanations, adding that the median home sale price has doubled in the past decade.
“If we truly care about our communities on Long Island, I think it’s time to say that we’re not going to close the gates,” Gross said. “We’re not a gated community, and we can ensure that people can afford to live here.”
Why some support new development
In communities across Long Island, new housing developments often spark debate, as they try to balance the need for growth with residents’ desire to preserve the neighborhood character.
In Lynbrook, that tension was visible with the opening of the Langdon, a six-story apartment building at Broadway and Langdon Place that added 201 rental units to the village. While some residents raised concerns about traffic, crowding and other changes to the community, others, including local business leaders and many residents, viewed the project as an opportunity for revitalization.
Polly Talbott, a former president and the current executive director of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce, lives in the village and has seen the transition firsthand. Her dual perspective as resident and chamber leader informs her view of the YIMBY approach. While construction created temporary disruptions, the project was thoughtfully executed, Talbott said, and recent improvements, including updated streets and parking, have already enhanced the surrounding area.
“It will help our village to flourish,” she said. “I think it’s inspiring to see our community embracing it. We understand that people, some people, have a hard time with it, but it is a great opportunity for young people to find a home here, and it will bring just life and vitality to our streets.”
The project included 20 affordable apartments designated for households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income — six studios, 11 one-bedroom apartments and three two-bedroom units, with monthly rents ranging from $2,212 to $3,147.
Asked about the cultural resistance often associated with NIMBYism, Talbott acknowledged that some residents worry about overpopulation or losing the village’s small-town character, sometimes expressed as a fear of “turning Long Island into the city.” From her perspective, these concerns are understandable but overstated. She emphasized that Lynbrook continues to offer green spaces, parks and community amenities, and that adding housing does not diminish the village’s character; rather, it strengthens it by welcoming new residents who are invested in the community.
“Are we going to put one on every corner? No, we’re not,” Talbott said. “We can’t stop change. We can’t stop progress. And I think we’ve done it tastefully.”
Affordable housing and rental options are also critical in the broader context of Long Island’s housing crisis. With the rising cost of homeownership, apartment complexes like the Langdon provide alternatives for young professionals and families who would otherwise be priced out.
While NIMBY resistance often focuses on perceived disruptions, housing developments are increasingly seen as necessary to ensure that communities remain vibrant, inclusive and economically sustainable.
Bob Barker, president of the Locustwood Gotham Civic Association, in Elmont, said he believes that building affordable housing — or changing zoning laws to allow it — could help solve a nagging issue in some neighborhoods vacant houses.
“There are a lot of unoccupied buildings that are causing a blight in the community,” Barker said. “Let’s get rid of these zombie homes. Let’s get rid of these structures that have been there for years that are boarded up and look tacky.”
Best Neighborhood, a website that tracks real estate data, reports that the average vacancy rate in Nassau County is roughly 6 percent.
Converting vacant homes into affordable housing, Barker argues, would benefit the community twofold: It would create more options for young people or families in need of affordable housing while eliminating properties that are poorly maintained and increasingly dilapidated. The economic benefits, Barker added, could also help towns attract new residents, generate more property tax revenue and boost local businesses.
And, he said, renovating existing homes to create accessory dwelling units could create jobs for local contractors.
“You want people to say, ‘You know what? This is a great program,’” Barker said.
But, he cautioned, community input is essential in determining what kinds of affordable housing make sense — whether apartments or smaller homes that can be converted into multi-family rentals.
“These are things you have to look at in terms of how best the community agrees with it,” Barker said. “The community should play a vital part in what kind of structures and buildings are built.”
And, he stressed, just because current laws may limit development doesn’t mean they can’t be changed. As the community evolves over the years, laws need to reflect that change, and existing ones may not truly benefit the community.
“You can make amendments to the laws to make them better,” Barker said. “Progress is about change, and the only way you can do that is by amending the laws. We have to be proactive, and not reactive.”
