“NYC Rent Freeze Program: Helping Elderly and Disabled Tenants Stay in Affordable Housing”

NEW YORK — A New York City program helps eligible elderly and disabled tenants stay in affordable housing by freezing rents.

This is the New York City Rent Freeze Program, which includes the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption Program (SCRIE) and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption Program (DRIE), which with a credit Property tax covers the difference between the actual rent amount and what the tenant is responsible for paying at the frozen rate.

The longer a person is in the program, the greater the benefit. If you enter the program, continue to renew, and meet all the requirements, the current amount you pay for rent now could be the same in 20 years.

Here we answer some questions about the program:

WHAT IS THE RENT FREEZE PROGRAM?

The Rent Freeze Program refers to the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE). These programs help seniors, age 62 and over, and qualified tenants with disabilities stay in affordable housing by freezing their rent.

A property tax credit covers the difference between the actual (legal) amount of rent and what the tenant is responsible for.

WHAT IS FROZEN RENT?

rent freeze is the monthly rent that the tenant, as an approved participant in the Rent Freeze Program, must pay to the landlord. The frozen rent amount is shown on your approval notice.

HOW IS MY RENT FROZEN DETERMINED?

In most cases, they freeze rent at the previous legal rent amount or one-third of the monthly income, whichever is higher.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE PROGRAM?

Those who meet the criteria for SCRIE:

• Age: 62 years or older.
• Combined household income: $50,000 or less.
• More than a third of the monthly household income must be spent on rent.
• Applicant must reside in and be named on the lease or have succession rights to a rent-regulated apartment (ie, Hotel Rent Stabilized, Rent Controlled, or Rent Regulated).

SCRIE applicants who reside in an apartment located in a building with a federally insured mortgage under Section 213 of the National Housing Act or owned by a Limited Benefit Housing Company or Dividend Housing Company Limited (Mitchell-Lama Development), Redevelopment Company or Housing Development Fund Company (HDFC) incorporated under New York State Finance Housing Law must contact the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to apply for SCRIE. For more information call (212) 863-8494 or visit www.nyc.gov/hpd.

Those who meet the DRIE requirements:

• Age: 18 years or older.
• Combined household income: $50,000 or less.
• More than a third of the combined monthly household income must be spent on rent.

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED?

What documentation do I need to submit with my initial application as proof that my apartment is rent regulated?

• For Rent Stabilized Apartments: You must submit your current lease and your prior lease. Leasing agreements must be signed by you and your landlord.
• For rent controlled apartments: You must present your current and previous Notices of Maximum Collectable Rent (Form RN-26).
• For rent regulated hotels and single room occupancy units (SROs): You must submit a rent increase letter signed by your management and a copy of your DHCR rental history or DHCR apartment registration.
• For Mitchell-Lama properties, HDFC cooperatives, and Section 213 cooperatives: You must submit a printout or rental history letter from your management office specifying the date of your last rent increase, the amount of rent paid before the rent increase and the amount paid after the rent increase, as well as a household income affidavit, if applicable.

For more information go here.