Photo Courtesy of Google
JASA Brookdale Village Older Adult Center, 131 Beach 19th St. in Far Rockaway.
By Forum Staff
The Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement (PEU), Department of Finance (DOF), and Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) have launched a week of action as part of an ongoing outreach strategy to connect city residents to NYC rent freeze and homeowner tax exemption programs.
New Yorkers who are 62 years or older or have a disability may qualify to freeze their rent. Homeowner tax exemption season is also here. New Yorkers who are 65 years or older or have a disability may qualify for a tax exemption if they own a home.
There are currently thousands of New Yorkers who qualify for these money-saving programs but are not enrolled. Largely due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 saw a decrease in rent freeze program enrollments. Additionally, the deadline to apply or renew for many homeowner tax exemptions is coming up on March 15, including the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption (SCHE), the Disabled Homeowners’ Exemption (DHE), and several others found at nyc.gov/site/finance/benefits/landlords.page. As part of this effort to increase enrollments, staff from PEU and DOF will be in older adult centers located in underserved communities providing one-on-one support, as well as conducting targeted phone outreach to alert New Yorkers of these benefits.
The earlier New Yorkers enroll in these programs, the more money they can save. The City has many resources available to help New York’s renters and owners with this process, including helplines and in-person opportunities.
Eligible New Yorkers can get free, one-on-one support to enroll in NYC’s rent freeze and homeowner tax exemption programs in the following ways:
- Call 929-252-7242 to connect with the NYC Public Engagement Unit’s Hotline.
- Call 311 and say “Rent Freeze” to connect with the Department of Finance.
- Call NYC Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NY (212-244-6469) or go to one of the 300+ NYC Aging affiliated older adult centers.
As part of the week of action, the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement will do targeted text outreach to thousands of older New Yorkers to let them know about rent freeze and homeowner tax exemptions. PEU’s Rent Freeze team will screen New Yorkers for eligibility, provide information about the programs and schedule follow-ups for in-person and phone assistance for submission of applications and documents at older adult centers.
PEU and DOF staff will also be in-person at adult centers to continue to support residents following the week of action to provide support to older New Yorkers in applying for the rent freeze and property tax break programs, including Jan. 5 and Jan. 19, 10:30-3:30 at JASA Brookdale Village Older Adult Center, 131 Beach 19th St., Far Rockaway.
“Affordable housing is critical in helping older adults age in their communities, amongst friends and family. Rent Freeze programs like SCRIE and DRIE help eligible New Yorkers stay in their homes and avoid being displaced by rent increases they can’t afford. Lamentably, many people who qualify for these programs don’t enroll,” said Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. “The city is here to help ensure everyone who is eligible applies. There are over 300 older adult centers across the city, where older New Yorkers can get guidance and support in the Rent Freeze application process. Visit your local center and enroll today.”
