What you should know
- New York City seeks to involve more seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities in the Rent Freeze program, or Freezing rent, which protects tenants living in affordable residences from future rent increases.
- Beginning in November, the City Finance Department Awareness Unit will conduct weekly enrollment hours at the five DOF malls located in each county, as well as continuing its regular enrollment services.
- According to the 2022 rental freeze report, on average, beneficiaries of the rental freeze program for five to ten years save between $ 176 and $ 191 per month. For ten to fifteen year program beneficiaries, that benefit increases to an average of $ 307 and $ 340.
NEW YORK – New York City seeks to involve more seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities in the Rent Freeze program, or Freezing rent, which protects tenants living in affordable residences from future rent increases.
The city’s Department of Finance (DOF) has released its 2022 report on the program and announced its increased outreach efforts to enroll more people from these communities. The report revealed that “tens of thousands of seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities continue to rely on this important benefit to prevent rents from rising, saving money and staying in their homes, but it also revealed the first drop in enrollment in recent years. . ” years in 2020
Starting in November, the DOF Awareness Unit will conduct weekly enrollment hours at the five DOF shopping centers located in each county, as well as continuing its regular enrollment services. Even New Yorkers can program a date here to visit a Department of Finance help center. Virtual appointments will also be available, “said Preston Niblack, commissioner of the Department of Finance.” This reflects the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a particular impact on the vulnerable population.
“The SCRIE and DRIE programs are key tools that ensure that older New Yorkers and New Yorkers with disabilities can continue to pay their rent,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Through these expanded outreach efforts, our goal is to raise awareness of the program to enroll more attendees and ensure that our city remains accessible and accessible to our most vulnerable New Yorkers.”
Starting in November, DOF staff will be at each of the DOF Business Centers on a weekly basis to assist with enrollment or renewal of rental lockdown benefits. Below is the table to know the exact places, dates and times:
- Manhattan business center: 66 John Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10038. Tuesday from 1pm to 4pm
- Queens business center: 144-06 94th Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11435. Monday from 14:00 to 17:00
- Bronx business center: 3030 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor Bronx, NY 10455. Cross Street: 156th Street. Thursday from 2pm to 5pm
- Staten Island Business center 350 St. Marks Place # 301, Staten Island, NY 10301. Tuesdays from 9:00 to 12:00
- Brooklyn business centerBrooklyn Municipal Building, 210 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Miércoles de 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
What are the requirements for the Rent Freeze program?
Senior Rent Increase Exemption Program (SCRIE) requirements:
- Age: 62 or older.
- Combined household income: $ 50,000 or less.
- More than a third of the monthly family income must be spent on rent.
- In addition to residing in a qualifying unit, the applicant must be named in the lease order or have inheritance rights.
- Residence in a rental apartment regulated or subject to the Private Housing Financing Act.
Disability Rent Increase Waiver Program Requirements (DRIE):
- Age: 18 years or older.
- Combined household income: $ 50,000 or less.
- More than a third of the monthly family income must be spent on rent.
- In addition to residing in a qualifying unit, the applicant must be named in the lease order or have inheritance rights.
- The applicant must have received supplemental security income, social security disability insurance, disability-related Medicaid, or disability pension or disability benefit from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Postal Service.
- Residence in a rental apartment regulated or subject to the Private Housing Financing Act.
How can I sign up for the program and find more information?
For more information go here or you can call 3-1-1.
Background / report on rental freeze 2022:
The New York City Rent Freeze program, which includes the Senior Rent Increase Exemption Program (SCRIE) and the Disabled Rent Increase Exemption Program (DRIE), helps qualified individuals stay in affordable housing by freezing their rent, which could save them hundreds of dollars a month while they stay on the program. The longer a person stays in the program, the greater their benefits will be over time, due to the increase in what the landlord could legally charge according to the New York City Rent Guidelines Board. This makes renewing rental freeze benefits critical to the success of the program and to ensuring that New Yorkers receive the maximum benefit possible.
According to the 2022 rent freeze report, on average, SCRIE and DRIE beneficiaries who have been enrolled in the rent freeze program for five or ten years save between $ 176 and $ 191 per month, respectively. For ten to fifteen year program beneficiaries, that benefit increases to an average of $ 307 for SCRIE beneficiaries and $ 340 per month for DRIE beneficiaries.
The number of SCRIE and DRIE recipients has steadily increased since 2014, with recipient numbers growing by 6.9% between 2014 and 2020. Although pre-pandemic awareness efforts have gone a long way to enroll more New Yorkers in the program, Enrollments dropped in 2020 following significant disruption and inconvenience caused by COVID-19.
Between 2016 and 2019, the number of frozen households for rent in New York City increased annually, from 72,299 in 2016 to a high of 75,515 in 2019. In 2020, the total number decreased by 5.1% for a total of 71,665 families, 59,862 of which received SCRIE benefits and of which 11,803 received DRIE benefits. For 2019, the most recent year for which estimates are available, 135,111 households were eligible for the program. The average age of benefit recipients in 2020 was 77 for SCRIE and 62 for DRIE, and the average family size was 1.5 for both SCRIE and DRIE. The average number of years beneficiaries stayed in the program ranged from 7.2 years in Staten Island to 8.5 years in the Bronx and between 9.0 and 9.6 years in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. A higher number of years in the program correlates with a higher average monthly amount.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of rental lockdown beneficiaries have also begun not renewing their benefits or responding to DOF requests for more information. As a result, the DOF has adapted its policies to keep all application states active for those who have not completed the application process.
