By Cindy J. Roth
Selss graduated from Oswego State University with a degree in public relations in May 2000. Like so many young professionals facing Nassau's housing crunch -- and exorbitant rents -- he chose to move back home after college to save money.
For him, returning home was as difficult as leaving for college in the first place.
Selss' room is decorated with hockey and soccer trophies of years ago and toy figuries from "The Simpsons" TV show, an obsession of his. It is a far cry from the dormitories or fraternity houses of the good old days of collegiate life, when Selss enjoyed the freedom to come and go as he pleased.
Redecorating his room provided a sense of control for Selss, who is now public-relations supervisor at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center of East Hills. "When I came home from college, I figured if I was going to live at home, I was going to redo my room the way I wanted to do it," he said. "It was a project I wanted to do just to make it feel like I was home, but not home home. When I come home, I hang up my coat in my room. It's like I live in the house, but my room is really like my apartment, my domain."
Selss, who has a great relationship with his parents, said in some sense he does not mind living at home, mostly because he is never there. For an eager go-getter like himself, however, there is that nagging need to get out of the house and be independent.
"I have a roof over my head," said Selss. "My parents aren't making me pay rent, which is very nice of them, and the meals are there. It's a place where I get to do my laundry, and I have a bed to sleep in, so for all those things, it's great. One of the main reasons why I'm staying at home is not because I want to be there, but it is to save money."
Saving money is the reason most recent college graduates move home. The generation of young professionals, ranging from 22 to 34 years old, account for a little more than 15 percent of Nassau County's population, according to the 2000 Census. For the roughly 205,000 young professionals making entry-level salaries, they often have trouble finding affordable housing.
Most studio apartments on Long Island cost upward of $900 a month. A one-bedroom apartment in traditionally young, residential areas like Long Beach, Great Neck, Dix Hills and Huntington Village can range between $1,400 to $2,500 a month. When pulling an entry-level salary and paying off student loans, in addition to a half-dozen monthly expenses, living at home starts to look good.
"I just bought my first new car," said Selss, who said he earns between $30,000 and $45,000. "It's my first car that isn't a hand-me-down. This is another thing I have to pay for. On top of that you have other bills. You have cell phone, cable modem and credit-card bills. When you add that in with trying to save money to have rent money to move out, these are all things that are a necessity in life."
Most young professionals do not qualify for public housing offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which focuses on rental housing for low-income families, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope for many young professionals who are itching to escape their childhood homes. Howard Blanckman, head of the Nassau County Planning Commission, and Jim Morgo, president of the Long Island Housing Partnership, are working on a young professionals affordable housing initiative to create less-expense housing options in the downtown business districts throughout the county.
"There is a verifiable need for young people who are graduating from college or high school to find a place to live, and there are no affordable rentals on Long Island, certainly no legal affordable rentals," said Morgo.
Long Island, specifically Nassau County, is classified as one of the richest areas of the country. It is also one of the most-expensive places to live, ranked 6.3 percent above living costs nationally, according to the regional consumer price index. The average income for young professionals starting in entry-level positions on Long Island across a variety of career fields averages between $25,000 and $40,000. Young professionals would be spending 60 percent of their annual salary on rent if they were making $30,000 and living in an apartment that goes for $1,500 a month.
Blanckman and Morgo, realizing the importance of investing in the county's youth, started the young professionals housing initiative on behalf of the Nassau County Planning Commission. The idea behind the initiative is to provide young individuals who are working in Nassau County with studio apartments at reasonable rental prices where they can live until they can get their feet on the ground.
"This is a neglected part of housing," said Blanckman. "We are building senior housing, which is certainly needed, but who's paying attention to young people. I am, and I think the planning commission wants to."
The studio apartments would be built in small pockets in central business districts over retail stores or in converted existing buildings.
"Wouldn't it be great if we could do this in all the little towns and townships, so then people who grew up in that area could find a way to stay there until they got set?" said Blanckman. "Maybe they would stay there and get successful enough to buy their first house. What we are trying to do is help kids get on their feet and move up."
"We will provide people in central business districts with people who will live there, stay there and shop there and not have to drive around for everything they want," Blanckman added. "We want to recapture the familiar feeling of a neighborhood."
Morgo said the small apartments, which would house one to two people, would cost less than $900 month to rent for one year with a renewable rent option once. There is no set plan as of yet determining what the actual rental prices would be or the requirements to apply for housing. Morgo, though, estimates that anyone making less than $40,000 to $60,000 annually would be eligible.
Morgo and Blanckman realize the vital need for affordable housing for young professionals in Nassau County, and the two are committed to a plan to make it possible for young people to stay, live and work in Nassau County.
"We have a plethora of strip malls and major malls. We are building developments, but not creating any neighborhoods," said Blanckman. "We're losing kids ourselves on a brain drain who can't afford to stay on Long Island, or they're either living with their parents because there isn't any affordable places to live. A young professional who has just graduated from high school or college who has a job has a right to want to be here and make it possible for him or her to stay and contribute to Long Island."
Nassau County elected and business leaders are stressing the need for more businesses to base themselves in the county to raise the sagging economy and close Nassau's gaping budget deficits. Many companies, however, are having a hard time finding college graduates to fill entry-level jobs.
Without affordable housing for young professionals, many Long Island natives returning from college are looking elsewhere to live and work. The young professionals housing initiative could help keep more businesses in the area and improve the local economy.
"One of the reasons that a lot of companies are going south is because they can't find entry-level people," said Blanckman. "Why can't they find entry-level people? Because young people can't afford to live here."
County Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick), who has worked closely with Blanckman, said the ability of young people to move into established, affordable housing would allow individuals to save money, stay in their home communities and eventually move into higher-end housing.
"Otherwise what you do is force young people off the Island, and you never get them back," said Denenberg. "You want high-tech industry in Nassau without providing housing for low income, and that is stupid."
Blanckman and Morgo said they are looking into public and private money to get the initiative off the ground and are looking into sites in West Hempstead and North Hempstead to start. The Housing Partnership would build and operate the units, while the Planning Commission would help acquire the land.
"This is a new area for us, and we are still trying to find a site that works and financing that works," said Morgo.
Selss said he thinks affordable housing for young professionals is a good idea. Selss' father, Fred, sympathizes with how hard it is for a young person on Long Island today to find a job and get established. Fred remembers how, when he got married, he paid $245 a month for rent.
"We laugh at that today," said Fred Selss. "It's very tough for a young person today. It's very perplexing that you go to school and come back [to live at home], but on Long Island you can't get anything for less than $900 to $1,000."
