Lawmaker Q&A: People leaving the state can’t afford to live here

By Tim Farkas / For NYVT Media

New York Assemblyman Matt Simpson is tying the state’s housing affordability crisis to the population decline.

“We need to acknowledge the elephant in the room: The State’s population loss is a big deal,” Simpson, whose 114th district includes part of Washington County, wrote in an Op-Ed sent to NYVT Media in January. . . . “We cannot realistically expect individuals to stop leaving the State if they cannot afford a place to live.”

New York’s population dropped by more than 180,000 people over a one-year period ending in July, the largest decrease of any state in the nation, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New York’s population went from 19,857,492 in July 2021 to 19,677,151 in July of last year, a decline of 0.9%.

Assemblyman Matt Simpson

The state defines the housing affordability threshold as 30% or less of household income. Nearly half of the state’s rental households and over one in four homeowners have housing costs above that threshold.

In his Op-Ed, which was sent to NYVT Media on the same day Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered her State of the State address, Simpson began by saying the top priority for lawmakers in Albany this year will be to “undertake a fundamental shift from responsive governing and pivot to rebuilding a foundation which allows New York families and businesses to thrive.”

“Making New York State an attractive place to live will require plenty of work,” Simpson wrote. “It is disadvantageous to lose population year after year. It diminishes our voice at the federal level, and it harms our economic diversity and viability. On a more human level, it harms our communities. When our neighbors leave the State, the State loses part of its soul.”

As one approach to the housing crisis, Simpson said in an Adirondack Daily Enterprise article in the fall that he would like New York to apportion more money to finance housing projects that are targeted at middle-income homebuyers.

The lawmaker’s comments in that article and in the Op-Ed represent only some of his thoughts on affordable housing, however.

In December, he answered questions from NYVT Media in the following email conversation, which has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What is your definition of affordable housing?

There is affordable housing as defined by the State, and then there is housing affordability. The latter encompasses the dilemma currently facing many families throughout the North Country who have income(s) that are above AMI (area median income) thresholds the State uses when categorizing low-income families for assistance.

Where do you think the affordable housing issue ranks in the minds of your constituents?

Housing affordability is impacting individuals and families who are working full time and command incomes that at face value seem comfortable on paper but still leave them struggling to find suitable housing needs that still allow for household budget flexibility. The conversations that we need to have more of at every level cannot be confined to affordable housing anymore. We must be delving deeper into housing affordability.

Ranking affordable housing or housing affordability is undoubtedly high on everyone’s mind. I can think of individuals I know personally who cover a broad spectrum of income levels who are having a difficult time maintaining or finding housing that meets their budget. To rank it is impossible given the impact inflation and price increases have had across every facet of the household budget. Food, gas, utilities, child care, insurance rates; everything has skyrocketed and is leaving many even well-off families trying to figure out how to keep up.

Can you share some housing struggles from your work as a lawmaker?

I can recall an instance of a single mother with a young daughter who works full time. She struggles to earn enough for child care a few days a week and cannot afford much-needed basic maintenance and repairs on the home she lives in, but from the government’s perspective, she makes too much money for food or housing assistance.

Another instance involves a young family of four with an income that would be considered middle-class. They relocated out of the area for an employment opportunity but are looking to return to the area, but market conditions (price, interest rates, inventory) have put them in a position where they cannot find long-term housing that will suit their needs.

What are you doing to increase the amount of affordable housing in your district?

A: One step we need to take at the state level is to finalize appointments to the Special Joint Legislative Commission on Affordable Housing. The state would be wise to include appointees from the Adirondacks and rural areas like Washington County to ensure equal and accurate representation of the diverse demographics found statewide. I also believe we can look at ways to expand development of our hamlets by emphasizing investments in our infrastructure to attract economic development and spur the additional supply necessary.

Another viable tool that would have an impact on housing in certain areas such as the Adirondacks and surrounding areas would be the creation of land banks. This is of course just scratching the surface for a solution to a problem that will require more stakeholders than just the state and must include a cooperative approach with nonprofits and the private sector.

Back to “The Search for Affordable Housing”