In this episode of In Focus, Josh Durso sits down with Tompkins County Housing and Community Development Director David West for a wide-ranging conversation about why communities across the Finger Lakes and Upstate New York are struggling to build enough housing — and what they can actually do about it. They get into zoning, shrinking household sizes, rising rents, development costs and the resistance that often follows new housing proposals, along with why simply building more units can eventually put downward pressure on prices.
The conversation also covers accessory dwelling units, cottage courts, administrative review for smaller projects, parking requirements, design standards and whether communities need to rethink the way they regulate development altogether. West also talks about Tompkins County’s next 10-year housing strategy, the role of state environmental rules and why incremental changes may ultimately be more effective than waiting for one massive solution to the housing shortage.
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