Matthew Long (MArch ’14) Demonstrates the Power of Listening in Affordable Housing Design

Long got his start in architecture at Long Associates Architects, the firm his father founded in the late ‘70s. He had just graduated from Empire State College with a degree in general design, and his first day on the job, he knew he had stumbled onto something great.

Since its founding, that firm has partnered with nonprofits across New York State to design more than 400 housing projects, including affordable residences, group homes for individuals with developmental disabilities, and other supportive housing—all with a focus on accessibility and universal design.

After six years on the job, Long recognized that advancing his career meant returning to school. At the age of 29, he enrolled in the master of architecture program at UB’s School of Architecture and Planning. Initially, he was skeptical of the program’s value—he already knew how to do his job and do it well, and his classes felt theoretical and unrelatable. In hindsight, he sees how the program expanded his way of thinking.

“I had the wrong attitude,” he explained. “I’d been working in a firm for six years at that point, and it was a culture shock. The part that I didn’t realize yet was the malleability and flexibility that this creates in your brain, teaching you not to be so rigid in your mindset. It opened up different ways of thinking and also gave me the opportunity to collaborate and to get criticism from people in a studio setting.”

After graduating in 2014, he returned to Long Associates Architects, advancing to partner two years later. Today, he approaches every project with candor, compassion, and a commitment to understanding the people who will live in the spaces he’s designing.

“It’s important to have an open mind,” he urged. “We need to understand the client, we need to understand humans, and we need to be passionate and compassionate and try to provide the best product that we can.”

Collaboration is key, and Long Associates Architects partners with nonprofits across the state to design buildings that strengthen communities. One of their longstanding partnerships is with People Inc., a WNY-based organization that provides a diverse array of support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and seniors, as well as affordable housing.

In 2023, UB alumnus Brian Smith (BA ’10, MUP ’14) joined People Inc. as vice president of real estate development. He and Long had earned their graduate degrees from the School of Architecture and Planning in the same year (Smith’s in urban planning), and their similarities in temperament and work approach only enhanced the success of their partnership. Over the past few years, they’ve collaborated on a number of projects.

Highlights include: Blocher Apartments, a 93-unit affordable housing complex in Williamsville; an accessible single-family home in Youngstown in partnership with Habitat for Humanity; Juniper Housing, a dual-building affordable housing complex with one residence for seniors and the other for families, with optional opportunities for connection and community building in shared spaces; and the upcoming conversion of a portion of the former DeGraff Memorial Hospital in North Tonawanda into a mixed-use facility with senior housing, an employee training center, and a day habilitation program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (now in the concept phase).

Smith is grateful for the partnership and proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish. “In order to work our way out of this housing crisis, we need people and firms who are talented and passionate about these projects and seeing them through,” he shared. “Matt and his team are a great example of some of the great groups we get to work with on our projects at People Inc.” 

Preconceived notions abound regarding what affordable housing should look like, but Long doesn’t subscribe to that kind of thinking. His designs prioritize dignity and community, incorporating features like community rooms, outdoor patios, welcoming congregation spaces, and computer rooms, whenever funds allow. Recently, New York’s Homes and Community Renewal agency (HCR)—one of the primary sources of state funding—integrated broadband internet into their design manual, signaling a meaningful shift in attitudes about how to meet residents’ needs in today’s technology-driven world.

“Ideally, we try to provide as much as we can for the residents. Unfortunately, sometimes the budget just isn’t there, but you try to fit in as much as you can to provide that additional level of living.”

Accessibility and universal design are important components of these buildings as well. While many for-profit developers prioritize fitting as many units into their complexes as they can— because more units generate more income—Long is committed to designing spaces for everybody. For example, this may include wider hallways and doorways that can easily accommodate a wheelchair, using LED lighting that’s optimal for people who are blind or have low vision, or other features that will enable residents to age in place.

It’s a design philosophy that’s rooted in listening to what tenants need rather than being driven by profit.

“We want to give people the best that we can and also meet them where they are and really hear them,” Long explained. “That’s so important, especially when you work with a firm that’s serving people with physical and developmental disabilities and seniors. How do you design for everybody? The way that you start is to listen.”

Dishearteningly, the surrounding community is not always receptive to the prospect of affordable housing and its potential residents. Long has found that communication is the key to changing minds, and community meetings on the topic of affordable housing go a long way in making that happen.

“We talk about the income brackets for future residents, which is based on the area median income, and all of a sudden, half the room gets it,” he explained. “People don’t realize what affordable means, and there’s such a stigma. But after we deliver the project, they’re pleasantly surprised. People just need to be nicer and kinder to everybody.”

In fall 2026, the UB School of Architecture and Planning will launch a Graduate Certificate in Affordable Housing, designed for those with an interest in learning about the design, policy-making, and development of affordable housing in the U.S.

Matthew Long welcomes this addition. “I think it’s a great idea to add programs that are aligned with what’s happening in the world,” he shared. “Especially when it gets students thinking about what options exist. I see value in that.”