It has a mix of low- and middle-income residents.

The added hope is that the program will help spur housing for middle-income residents, she said.

"The study clearly indicates that middle-income residents on Long Island also face a growing crisis."

But some warned against using public land for middle-income residents at the expense of the poor.

He also designed projects for low- and middle-income residents in New Jersey.

They want the next governor to commit $13 billion over 10 years to create and preserve 220,000 units of housing for low- to middle-income residents.

"There are a lot of moderate- to middle-income residents looking to return - community people who grew up here," he said.

Their focus: low-and middle-income older residents who might otherwise have to move away.

But to build higher, they would have to set aside a certain proportion of their units for low- or middle-income residents.

"This place used to be a model for middle-income residents," she said.