Alleged bureaucratic errors by the Department of Finance could mean that over 5,000 seniors citywide are at risk to see reduced SCRIE rental subsidies, or to lose their benefits entirely. Photo Courtesy of Chair Michael Perlman of the Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Flickr.
A recent New York Post article on the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption program caught the attention of one Forum reader from Howard Beach/Lindenwood. A beneficiary of the program for the last 13 years, this reader was only momentarily concerned that the Post article was referring to a problem that could affect her own living situation.
According to the story, nearly 6,000 tenant households receiving benefits from SCRIE, a rent-subsidy program designed to protect senior citizens from overwhelming rent hikes, and a similar program, DRIE, the Disability Rent Increase Exemption program, are at risk of seeing reductions in subsidies or losing the benefit entirely.
The City’s Department of Finance website states that, in order to qualify for SCRIE, tenants must be at least 62 years old, rent an apartment that is regulated by the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, have an annual household income of $50,000 or less, and pay more than one-third of the household’s total monthly income for rent. Unfortunately, the Finance Department has been allegedly failing to double check that the last requirement is being met.
But that’s not the only alleged error: our Lindenwood reader, who asked to remain anonymous, got a phone call from the Department of Finance a week after reading the Post article. According to the woman she spoke with, she has been mistakenly receiving subsidies for all 13 years, as she had, in fact, never been a tenant in a DHCR apartment.
For seniors on a fixed income, as is our reader, the lost subsidy could be devastating; in her case, the difference in rent amounts to a whopping $256 per month.
“It’s tragic to cut this off with no warning,” she said, concerned that others in her situation might wind up homeless. “Something’s not right.” She decided to contact the Forum, as well as her local politicians, to see what could be done to rectify the problem.
“No one should have to lose their benefits over bureaucratic errors,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach). “Our local seniors depend on SCRIE and similar programs to maintain their quality of life right here in the neighborhood. I’ve partnered with my colleagues in the Assembly to call for a public hearing into city tax regulations. This way we can ensure our tax system is fair and accountable to the thousands of families in southern Queens and Rockaway who depend on these services every day.”
eugenie@theforumnewsgroup.com
