Congressman Mike Lawler hosted a Financial Services Committee Field Hearing in Rockland County along with Congressman Warren Davidson,  Chairman of the Housing Sub Committee, and Congressman Mike Flood.

The hearing was about Restoring Prosperity in American Communities: Examining the Failures of Status Quo Housing Policy. It was held at the Rockland County Legislature on New Hempstead Road in New City.

Rockland County is one of the most affordability-challenged counties for homeowners and renters in New York State. As a suburban area outside a major high-cost metropolitan region, Rockland County provides a good case study on how various state and local policies from the state’s capital and New York City impact local housing and economic affordability. 

The hearing explored the housing market challenges in the county that have led to inaccessible and unaffordable options for residents. The Committee explored how government overreach – whether through taxation, regulatory mandates, or disincentives for growth – hampers housing and economic development, diminishing the choices available to homeowners and renters.  

Local affordability challenges were another factor discussed, including the high tax burden faced by residents of New York State, as the state consistently has one of the nation's highest individual income tax rates and an equally high property tax burden.

Demand for housing in Rockland County and other surrounding areas has dramatically increased, creating additional local pricing pressures. As more individuals depart New York City for Rockland County, the larger the economic impact grows on local Rockland County residents already coping with their own incumbent housing affordability challenges.

Testifying at the hearing was Teresa M. Kenny, Supervisor, Town of Orangetown; John Ketcham, Fellow, and Director of Cities, Manhattan Institute; Ralph D. Amicucci, Amicucci Associates, P.C., Attorneys at Law, on behalf of the Institute of Real Estate Management, New York Chapter and others.