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Community Corner

Census: City Population Dips 6%

Officials say residents can't afford to live here, while others question the accuracy of the count.

The population in Long Beach has dropped by more than 6 percent over the last 10 years and city officials said they believe that many families can no longer afford to live here.

The census figures were recently released and it shows that the population declined from 35,462 in 2000 to 33,275 in 2010, which is a 6.2 percent decrease.

“In Long Beach the issue is affordability,” City Council member Len Torres said. “That’s one of the things that we’re really concerned about.  Folks can’t afford houses and apartments here in Long Beach, so they go to Island Park and Hempstead. It’s a trend that has been going on for a few years and it’s been accelerating the last couple of years.”

Of the 16,450 housing units in Long Beach, 1,641 were vacant, according to the 2010 census figures.

Joe Sinnona, an associate real estate broker in Long Beach, said he believes affordability is the main factor, which has forced many families to leave the city, but still stay in Nassau County.

Census figures show that the county’s population increased a slim .4 percent, from 1,334,544 to 1,339,532.

“The rentals have gone a little bit high and people can’t afford to live here in Long Beach anymore,” Sinnona said. “A lot of families have moved to Wantagh, Merrick and Massapequa.”

But Council member John McLaughlin said he strongly doubts that the Long Beach population has dipped so dramatically.

“I think that people just didn’t respond to the census,” McLaughlin said. “I don’t think the population has gone down. I think the census system is flawed, if you are saying that it went down by 2,000 people. Maybe people were afraid to give information because they are here illegally. I don’t think you get an accurate count of the total population.

“I don’t see the vacant houses and residences,” McLaughlin added. “I still find it hard to believe it went down 6 percent.”

Torres said a drop in population could mean less federal and state dollars for education and transportation. He said the adult education programs may see further cuts, and this summer the MTA plans to eliminate the M-33 bus line from the Rockaways to Long Beach.

“It really impacts a lot of people,” said Torres, who believes the census numbers are accurate because he took part in the process.

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Roy Lester, a Long Beach school board member, said he believes the population may be shifting, with retirees moving out and young families moving in because enrollment for pre-K showed a slight increase.

“A lot of people who are retired and living on fixed incomes can’t afford to live in the northeast anymore,” Lester said.

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The census numbers were just one of the many factors the school district said it would look at to determine whether to close East School.

“It’s a delicate decision and we have to look at all aspects,” Lester said. “And at this point we don’t have all aspects.”

Lester said the 2010 numbers don’t surprise him. “A lot of people can’t afford to live here so they go where there’s no snow and it’s not cold,” he said.

Torres said that’s why it’s important to control city taxes. “We don’t want to further scare away families,” he said.

Sinnona also believes that the school district gets a bad rap. “People think that our schools are not great but they are great,” he said. “The school system is excellent. The tax base needs to be capped. The school taxes are out of control.”

City Manager Charles Theofan did not return several calls for comment.

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