Res. No. 316

Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation that would expand the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) program to New York City tenants who reside in market rate units.

By Council Members Powers, Louis, Bottcher, Restler, Hanif, Hudson, Joseph, Brewer, Ung, Sanchez, Menin and Gutiérrez

Whereas, The New York City Department of Finance administers the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) program for rent stabilized and rent control tenants; and

Whereas, Seniors and tenants with disabilities who live in cooperatives that were incorporated under Article XI of the Private Housing Finance Law, federally assisted cooperatives, or Mitchell-Lama and Redevelopment Company developments may be eligible for SCRIE or DRIE; and

Whereas, The SCRIE program also requires senior citizens to be 62 years old or older, have a combined household income of $50,000 or less and spend more than one third of their monthly income on rent; and

Whereas, The DRIE program also requires tenants to be over the age of 18, have an annual household income of $50,000 or less, spend more than one third of their monthly income on rent and receive one of the following: federal supplemental security income (SSI), federal social security disability insurance (SSDI), United States Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Pension or Compensation, Disability-related Medicaid, if the applicant has received either SSI or SSDI in the past, or United States Postal Service (USPS) disability pension or disability compensation; and

Whereas, Tenants who have been approved for SCRIE and DRIE will have their rent frozen at the current rate and exempt from future rent increases; and

Whereas, Property owners who have SCRIE tenants or DRIE tenants would receive a credit towards New York real property taxes on the building where the tenant lives, which is the difference between the legal rent and the amount the tenant is required to pay under the SCRIE or DRIE program; and

Whereas, Senior citizens and tenants with disabilities who lease apartments that are not regulated are not eligible for SCRIE or DRIE benefits; and

Whereas, According to a report from the Center for an Urban Future titled, “New York’s Older Adult Population is Booming Statewide,” nearly 1 in 7 older New Yorkers are living in poverty, and an October 2019 report from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli titled “Employment Trends for People with Disabilities in New York City” brought attention to how working age New York City residents with a disability are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as people without a disability; and

Whereas, New York State should expand the SCRIE and DRIE programs to include eligible tenants who reside in market rate units; and

Whereas, Low-income older adults and tenants with disabilities who live in market rate units should have the same benefits as low-income adults and tenants with disabilities who live in other types of affordable housing; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation that would expand the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) program to New York City tenants who reside in market rate units.

Session 12

JAB/EH

LS 4559/7227/10018

8/23/22

Session 11

JLC

LS 14883