Newsday/Siena poll: 8 in 10 on Long Island fear affordability crisis will force out younger generations

Most Long Islanders fear younger generations won’t be able to stay in the region, according to the results of a Newsday/Siena Research Institute poll that highlighted the cost of living as a top concern.

Nearly eight of 10 Long Islanders — 77% — said cost of living was the first or second issue most important to them in the survey released Thursday. Four of 10 respondents said they weren’t optimistic they’d be able to afford to continue to live on Long Island and 81% expressed pessimism about the ability of individuals in their 20s and 30s to be able to stay in the area.

"I think those are disconcerting numbers," Siena pollster Don Levy said. "At first blush, you could say, ‘Oh that’s a pretty good finding. 57% of people say they’re optimistic.' But 40% are either not very or not at all optimistic about their ability to stay on the Island because of affordability. Forty percent is a lot."

That number jumps when you look at younger Long Islanders, he said. Forty-six percent of respondents between 18 and 34 said they were not confident they could afford to stay on Long Island, and 47% of individuals between 35 and 54 said the same.

The Newsday poll, done in conjunction with the Siena Research Institute, interviewed 412 registered voters on Long Island between June 17 and Tuesday on issues ranging from politics to affordability with a 6.1% margin of error, meaning answers could be that much higher or lower.

Long Islanders listed property taxes, groceries and healthcare  as significant cost burdens in the survey, with Republicans overwhelmingly focused on property taxes while Democrats highlighted groceries as the most significant threat to their family finances, Levy said.

Beyond affordability, 46% of Long Island Republicans said crime was the first or second most significant issue to them and Democrats in the region highlighted affordable housing as a top concern.

Cost of living was overwhelmingly a priority for New Yorkers overall, with 77% citing it as the first or second most important issue, according to a companion Siena statewide poll. Affordable housing came in second at 37%. The statewide poll contacted 1,120 voters and has a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.

"Broadly, the cost of living is a bigger issue than something specific to Long Island. And the reason for that is that we have had inflation go up for the past five, six years and generally, wages haven't kept up at the same rate," said Steven Kent, economist for regional business group the Long Island Association.

Anthony C. Hollander, 79, said the property taxes on Long Island are "outrageous."  

Nassau County has the highest property taxes in the country, with households paying an average of $11,561 per year, Newsday has reported. Suffolk County has the sixth highest taxes of any county in the country, at an average of $9,253 per year per household.

Hollander owns three properties in Amityville where he lives and operates his business as an occupational therapist. One property also encompasses a building he uses as a guest house and storage space.

"Electric, gas, maintenance. It’s just killing me," he said. "I’m partially retired. I’m very sick and I’m not making the kind of money I used to make. So I’m getting very worried about the future."

Linda Robertson, a retired nurse practitioner living in West Hempstead, said she’s managing the cost of living, but she’s aware of how difficult it’s become for many people.

"I worry about corporations buying up houses. I worry about property taxes. It’s not affordable. We’re going to lose our workforce. Parents are not going to have their kids around. It’s going to just cascade and cause a lot of problems," she said.

Robertson, 67, expressed concern about whether local governments are being careful with taxpayer money, naming the hiring of outside legal counsel by Nassau County as an example.

She’s not confident her young nieces and nephews would be able to afford to buy a house on Long Island.

That’s the case for Joseph Mirabella, 34, who is not sure he’ll ever become a homeowner in the region.

"I’m certainly saving my pennies for a day, but whether that day comes, who the hell knows?" he said. The tow truck driver, who rents in Islip, said his mother and brother have already moved south.

Mirabella grew up on Long Island and, despite how expensive it is to live here, doesn't plan to follow his family off the Island. His friends live here and he likes his job. He wants to stay.

"I don't want to leave. That's really it," he said.