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Youth Fleeing Long Island

GARDEN CITY, NY (WCBS 880) - Keeping people from leaving is a big concern on Long Island and the focus of a new report.

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WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reports

Sixty-four percent of young adults on Long Island surveyed say they plan to leave the island in the next five years. That compares with only 40 percent in suburban New Jersey.

It's among the issues outlined in the annual Long Island Index report being released today.

"This is no longer going to be a region that is able to sustain growing jobs, a growing economic base if it doesn't have workers," Long Island Index director Ann Golob warned WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs. "Workers will not come here if they cannot afford to buy a home here."

The report highlights the need for improved mass transit, affordable housing, downtown redevelopment, and updated zoning and master plans.

It praises several communities, such as Patchouge, Riverhead, and Amytiville, for their progressive efforts, but says, for most, progress is just too slow or non-existent.

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