Expensive housing on Long Island is nothing new. Neither is the struggle to hire. But in recent years, the crisis has grown to new heights. Providing housing might relieve some of the pressure around hiring, but it’s not easy to do. Employers trying to build face the same obstacles as other developers and often spend years seeking municipal approvals. Thomas Wickham has been trying to expand and renovate workforce housing on Wickham Farm in Cutchogue since 2022. Since then, he has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovating a kitchen and bathroom, adding two bedrooms and building a new water source and a state-of-the-art septic system. The process remains ongoing as he waits for a certificate of occupancy. “If farmers don’t provide some form of housing, it’s really very difficult to get employees,” said Wickham, noting that building requirements have been stringent. The family farm has provided housing to workers for decades, including a house on site rented to workers b...