One Piece Of The Puzzle

Since a code-enforcement crackdown was put in place this spring, town officials have brought to light nearly two dozen illegal apartments and other code violations.
A good start, but it’s undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg.

Community uproar over shootings, gang activity, violence and drug use in the Huntington Station community appears to be having an effect. The town is cracking down on illegal apartments and the landlords who own them.

For those who point the finger of blame for crime at overcrowded, cheap rental housing, the town crackdown is undoubtedly good news. But it’s just a part of the problem that plagues certain areas of town. And while enforcement may close down some illegal apartments, it does little to address the need for safe, affordable rental housing. The demand for such housing is far higher than supply.

But renters aren’t really the reason the community has problems. The problems invariably point back to gangs and drug activity. Where drugs are traded, there are guns and knives and violence. Until police take back the streets… until social workers can do their jobs and help keep young people out of the reach of gangs… until the town facilitates construction of safe, affordable housing, the problems will continue.

A good start? Yes. More cops on the street would be a better one. Creating housing opportunities better still.