Opinion: Our chance to make Long Island City affordable for the next generation

Rendering via DCP

By Leo Guttmann

I grew up just north of New York City, in Westchester, and like many kids in the tri-state area, I always dreamed of living in the city. When my work finally allowed it, I was drawn to Long Island City because it has everything that’s great about this city: amazing access to transit, public spaces along the waterfront, and new housing that, at the time, offered a way in without pushing someone else out.

The buildings I have lived in were built because of the 2001 rezoning of Long Island City, which before then was largely industrial land. That growth let people like me move here without displacing longtime residents. But now, more people live here, and even more want to, and unless we continue building, the only direction for prices to go is up. If we want LIC to stay accessible, we need to build more homes here. That’s why I support the OneLIC proposal.

Before Long Island City, I lived in Seattle, another city with a high demand for housing, but one that has focused more on building homes. My apartment there was less than half of what I pay in LIC today, with similar square footage and amenities. The process of finding a rental was less stressful, you had more time to decide, and leases often rolled over month-to-month. Renters in New York don’t have time to think, only to act fast or miss out.

Today, when my friends decide to leave New York City, it’s not because of schools or crime, as in past generations—it’s because the rent is too high and there is nowhere left to go. Competition is intense for every apartment, and even for dual-income families, it feels impossible to stay.

My neighbors in LIC want better: more schools, better access to the waterfront, parks, green space, and updated infrastructure. OneLIC delivers much of that, along with the housing we urgently need.

Waiting any longer to build more homes will only ensure that rents rise further and more of our neighbors are pushed out. OneLIC is the result of over 18 months of community engagement and compromise, and will bring us over 14,000 new homes, including 4,300 affordable ones. I believe in this neighborhood’s future, and OneLIC is how we turn that promise into reality. Let’s not miss our chance.

Leo Guttmann is a renter based in Long Island City.