BILL NUMBER: S4252
SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to continuation of senior citizen rent increase exemption bene-
fits after a period of ineligibility due to a head of household's tempo-
rary increase in income
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this legislation is to guarantee that recipients of the
SCRIE benefit not be subject to hindsight rent increases due to a period
of ineligibility.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: 26-605 of the administrative code of the city of New York is
amended by adding a new subdivision (e).
Section 2: This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to
relevant applications for the senior rent increase exemption benefits
filed on or after such date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
As it exists today, the SCRIE program contains a loophole that signif-
icantly hurts those senior citizens it is intended to help. Very
frequently, a senior may see his or her income experience an anomalous
spike, because of the need to take an additional distribution from an
IRA or a pension to cover medical expenses, for example, or other one
time increases in income. This income spike will disqualify the appli-
cant from the benefit. When the senior's income returns to normal, and
the beneficiary re-applies, his or her rent gets frozen not at the old
level, but at the current, higher foil legal rent, which is greater than
the previously frozen rent. This sudden income spike can effectively
push tenants out of the apartments SCRIE was intended to keep them in.
This legislation will prevent the disqualification of seniors from the
program because of one-time spikes in income within two years.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S6383- Referred to Aging
2021-22: S.5280 - Referred to Aging
2019-20: S.4825 - Referred to Aging
2017-18: S.3627 - REFERRED TO AGING
2015-16: S.529/A.563 - Referred to Housing Construction and Community
Development
2013-14: S.5495/A.10763 - Referred to Housing Construction and Community
Development
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Unknown
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to relevant
applications for the senior citizen rent increase exemption benefits
filed on or after such date.