Res. No. 768 Title Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to enact legislation to amend the Real Property Tax Law in relation to expanding the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) to senior citizen heads of household occupying units in non-rent regulated buildings, and in buildings not subject to the Private Housing Finance Law. Body By Council Members Gerson, Jackson, Addabbo, Jr., Baez, Boyland, Brewer, Clarke, Gentile, Katz, Koppell, Liu, Nelson, Quinn, Recchia, Jr., Reed, Reyna, Sanders, Jr., Seabrook, Sears, Serrano, Stewart, Vann, Weprin and Yassky Whereas, The Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption, or SCRIE, is authorized by New York State Real Property Tax Law Sections 467-b and 467-c; and Whereas, Section 467-b of the New York State Real Property Tax Law allows exemptions from rent increases to senior citizen heads of household aged sixty-two and older living in rent-controlled and rent-stabilized dwelling units; and Whereas, In return for rent increase exemptions, building owners are provided property tax abatements; and Whereas, New York City rent regulation laws will expire in June 2003 unless such laws are renewed by the New York State Legislature and Governor Pataki; and Whereas, Not only would the absence of rent regulation laws nullify the section of law giving SCRIE protection to senior citizens in rent-regulated units, but it would also drive rent to market rates, rendering thousands of low- to moderate-income seniors unable to afford their apartments; and Whereas, Section 467-c of the Real Property Tax Law also provides rent increase exemptions and tax abatements for senior citizen heads of households aged sixty-two and older occupying units in properties subject to the New York State Private Housing Finance Law, such as Mitchell-Lama cooperative and rental developments; and Whereas, The Private Housing Finance Law permits limited-profit housing companies, such as those owning Mitchell-Lama developments, to withdraw from the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program after 20 years; and Whereas, An increasing number of developments are withdrawing from the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, causing building residents to become ineligible for SCRIE, since the buildings are no longer subject to the Private Housing Finance Law and can only become rent-regulated if they were built before 1974; and Whereas, In light of the above-mentioned concerns, good public policy requires that SCRIE be expanded to apply to all rental units, including those in non-rent regulated buildings and those in buildings not governed by the Private Housing Finance Law; and Whereas, The extension of SCRIE protection to seniors residing in all rental units would ensure that even if a building loses rent-regulated status or is withdrawn from an affordable housing program, seniors would not be at risk of being priced out of their apartments; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to enact legislation to amend the Real Property Tax Law to expand the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption to senior citizen heads of household occupying units in non-rent regulated buildings, and in buildings not subject to the Private Housing Finance Law. CAB 3/21/03 |1013|