What's happening
The bill allows senior citizens to regain rent increase exemption benefits if they become eligible again after a temporary income rise of up to two years.
Why it matters
Prevents lasting penalties for temporary income changes. The bill ensures that senior citizens who briefly exceed the income limits for rent increase exemptions (for up to two years) can regain their benefits if their income later drops back within the eligibility threshold—preventing a short-term income spike from causing long-term loss of housing support.
Restores protections tied to original rent levels. When benefits are reinstated, seniors will not face rent increases above what they paid before their temporary ineligibility, except for any legally permitted (non-exempt) increases during the gap—protecting seniors from sudden, unaffordable jumps in rent.
Provides a clear path for reinstatement. The legislation requires the supervising agency to process applications for restored benefits, giving affected seniors a defined process and reassurance that their housing stability can be maintained if their financial situation worsens again.
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Who cares
Senior citizen rent increase exemption recipients
Those who lose eligibility because of an income increase lasting no more than two years could reapply when their income qualifies again and restore their prior rent baseline, plus any non-exempt increases, in the same dwelling.
Landlords of participating apartments
Restored exemption orders and tax abatement certificates would determine the returning recipient’s rent obligation using the pre-ineligibility rent plus any non-exempt increases during the gap.
New York City agencies administering rent exemptions
The supervising agency would process returning recipients’ applications under the relevant program’s terms and apply the bill’s rent calculation.
Headline styles
Protect Senior Rent Exemptions
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to aging
- Referred to aging
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Protect Senior Rent Benefits
In Assembly Committee · Aging · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3627
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 25, 2017
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, AVELLA, HAMILTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to continuation of senior citizen rent increase exemption benefits after a period of ineligibility due to a head of household's temporary increase in income
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 26-605 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subdivision (e) to read as follows:
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a head of a household to whom a rent increase exemption order/tax abatement certificate has been issued under this chapter, chapter three or chapter four of this title who has become ineligible for such rent increase exemption order/tax abatement certificate as a result of a temporary increase in income for a period of time that does not exceed two years, may, upon resumption of receipt of an income that qualifies for such order/certificate under this chapter, chapter three or chapter four of this title, apply to the supervising agency, subject to the terms and conditions imposed by such relevant chapter, for a rent increase exemption order/tax abatement certificate relating to the same dwelling unit to which the original rent increase exemption order/tax abatement certificate applied, and such order/certificate shall provide that the head of the household shall be exempt from paying that portion of the maximum rent for the dwelling unit which exceeds the last rent that the head of the household was required to pay in the dwelling unit prior to his or her increase in income which caused the temporary ineligibility, plus any non-exempt increases in such maximum rent which may have occurred during the temporary period of ineligibility.
§ 2. 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.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05430-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
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 benefits after a period of ineligibility due to a head of household's temporary 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
This bill will amend section 26-605 of the administrative code of the city of New York by adding a new subdivision (e).
Justification
As it exists today, the SCRIE program contains a loophole that significantly 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 applicant 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
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.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.