Local Elected Officials Host Senior and Disability Rent Freeze Workshop in East Village

NEW YORK – On Friday, October 23, State Senator Brad Hoylman along with Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, Borough President Gale Brewer, Councilmember Rosie Mendez, Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) and the Legal Aid Society hosted a senior and disability rent freeze workshop in the East Village. During the event, volunteer attorneys from Legal Aid assisted more than 30 local residents in submitting or renewing applications to the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs, applying for Medicare and Medicaid benefits and appointing health care proxies.

Senator Brad Hoylman said: “Affordable housing is the cornerstone of a strong and vibrant New York and SCRIE and DRIE are an essential part of this equation. Yet, while fast-rising rents and stagnant wages have made these programs more important than ever, thousands of eligible New Yorkers remain un-enrolled. I’m grateful to the Legal Aid Society, Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), and my colleagues Senator Squadron, Assembly Member Kavanagh, Borough President Brewer and Councilmember Mendez for helping to bring these benefits to some of New York City’s most vulnerable residents.”

Under the SCRIE and DRIE programs, known together as the NYC Rent Freeze Program, seniors over the age of 62 and tenants with disabilities are eligible for rent increase exemptions through a property tax credit. Earlier this year Mayor de Blasio announced an increase in the income threshold for the program to $50,000 for all qualified applicants.