NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.
"The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt
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NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC. "The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt |
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February 3, 2004
Home Sweet Home - Why Do I Rent Thee?
By Seth D. Bykofsky
Affordable senior and workforce housing is in great demand, not only in West Hempstead, but throughout the County. Such housing alone, while necessary and welcome, would not, in and of itself, eradicate the illegal rental problem. So, what would do the trick? Of course, vigorous code enforcement with swift and certain prosecution of offenders, with fines and penalties that would hit home hard, rather than be considered as a cost of doing business, would help. Perhaps the public airing of the identities of those who have been found to have violated the law - a "John's" list of sorts for illegal landlords - the scarlet letter to be worn by those of our neighbors who, at our expense, flaunt the law, might deter the few.
Of
course, the habitual offender and the absentee landlord, who make a nice living
dividing up properties into multiple dwelling units, would not be hindered in
the least. And the objective is not to shame the poor retiree on a fixed income
who rents out an apartment so she can afford to pay the mortgage, put food on
the table, and buy medication to lower her blood pressure. On the other side of
the coin, it would be interesting to see just who the major players are in the
illegal rental market. Some might be surprised as to the Who's Who of
landlords who rent illegally. Then again, such revelation might give much
insight into why, for far too long, the other cheek has been turned.
While pondering the solutions to this endemic scourge - the proliferation of
which is not limited to West Hempstead
- we must look to the causes. Yes, some rent illegally solely as a source of
income - the unscrupulous commercial landlord who divvies up the space above a
storefront into a multi-unit apartment; the absentee owner of single family
homes who greedily rents each one to multiple families; the unprincipled Realtor
who thinks nothing about placing houses with illegal apartments on the market.
Still, this represents but the tip of the iceberg. The reality is that most of
the folks who rent out illegal apartments - those who rent a second floor or a
basement - are our neighbors, who do so just to stay afloat financially. Our
neighbors, many of whom have been here for generations, who have seen the
expenses of owning and maintaining a home rise far above the average family's
ability to pay. And high up on that list of expenses, if not topping it, is the
number one enemy of sustainable living on Long Island, and, in this writer's
opinion, the primary cause of our burgeoning illegal rental dilemma - taxes!
Indeed, even for those who do not offer illegal apartments for rent, the number
one expense is the bottom line on that property tax bill. $5000 (if you're
lucky). $8,000. $10,000. And going nowhere but up. The spiraling costs of
running a County, a Township, our schools has pressed the financial burden of
many a homeowner to the breaking point. Some have been forced to sell their
homes, incomes unable to keep pace with the ever-increasing outflow. Others
simply choose to go the route of the illegal rental - the income gained being
the difference between keeping that house and having to move away. And that
leaves the rest of the population to bear the costs not paid by the illegal
renter - for services such as police and fire protection, sanitation collection,
and, lest any of us forget, to assure that, at least in this community, no child
is left behind.
True, it is easy for us to point the finger and say, "Its the taxes, stupid."
That's not enough. What must ensue is a bi-partisan, cross-governmental approach
not only to hold the line on taxes, but to lower them dramatically. To
consolidate essential services - from snow removal to garbage collection. To
streamline government and eliminate the wasteful practices that have become part
and parcel of the way our government functions. To grow the commercial and
technological base, thus shifting the tax burden from the homeowner. To examine,
item by item on the list of services provided by Town and County, line by
excruciatingly painful line on that property tax bill, to see where we can cut,
where we can be more efficient. To demand that those who saddle Counties, Towns
and School Districts with unfunded mandates, from Medicaid to transportation out
of District to private schools, ante up and foot the bill.
To, at
long last, scrap the way the State determines how it funds our schools, and who
will get how much, establishing a school aid formula that puts to work the
income taxes we pay to the State, reducing - if not eliminating - that which is
picked from our pockets as property-based school taxes. Then, there is the
manner in which property taxes are assessed. It has been said that the recent
reassessment has fixed many of the ills found under the old system. Without
arguing this point, pro or con, it is evident that the property tax beast has
not been tamed. If we cannot do away with this essentially regressive means of
raising money, we must, at least, make certain that the system is fair and
equitable.
Affordable housing. Community Courts. Fervent code enforcement. Getting control
over those darn taxes. Key ingredients to stemming the tide, and reversing the
flow, of illegal rental housing.
The writer is former President of the West Hempstead Civic Association.