There needs to be more reporting on the housing issues relating to Micron, particularly local residents’ ability to pay rising housing costs which will be supercharged by Micron’s development and its spinoffs. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement fails to assess the magnitude of rising housing costs, which will fall disproportionately on low-income households, such as in Syracuse, where many residents are already rent burdened. Will there be an increase in homelessness? How many will be forced to relocate due to rising rents?
The DEIS lists just 15 residential developments with 5,852 units (none affordable) currently planned. This represents 21% of the 27,000 claimed to be needed. Onondaga County’s recent comprehensive plan provides a vision for smart, town-centered growth, but outdated town plans and zoning regulations need to be revised to allow it.
We taxpayers already foot the bill for federal, state and county subsidies for Micron and we shouldn’t have to pay more for housing because Micron makes chips here. Existing overburdened residents should not have to pay more for their housing, nor be displaced by unaffordable housing costs…