Senate Bill S6260

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6260

SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the real property tax law, in relation to expanding
eligibility for tax abatement for rent-controlled and rent regulated
property occupied by persons with disabilities

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Provides that individuals who do not meet the non-medical qualifications
for Social Security Disability Insurance Program (SSDI) or Supplemental
Security Income Program (SSI), can qualify as a person with a disability
for the purposes of being eligible for the Disability Rent Increase
Exemption (DRIE) Program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends paragraph a of subdivision 5 of section
467-b of the real property tax law, to include proof of appropriate
              

certification for purposes of qualifying for the DRIE program.  Provides
that upon certification from an individual that they do not meet the
nonmedical qualifications for the SSDI or SSI, but because of their
disability are not able to engage in substantially gainful activity and
upon certification from an individual's healthcare provider that the
individual has a disability which prevents them from engaging in
substantial gainful activity, they shall also qualify for the DRIE
program.

Section 2 provides for the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Established in 2005, the New York City Disability Rent Increase
Exemption (DRIE) Program has assisted and continues to assist an esti-
mated 11.6 thousand disabled New York City (NYC) residents. The program
offers a tax abatement to landlords to pay off the difference for the
rent increase, which removes the rent burden for the disabled tenant.

At a time of record homelessness in NYC, helping people stay in their
homes is arguably the most cost effective and humane solution we have
available. The DRIE program has proven to be successful in keeping
people in their homes, especially in a city with rising costs and a high
rent burden on households. Yet, this option is not available to all New
Yorkers with a disability. Currently, many individuals who are disabled
do not qualify for this program because the law requires that a person
must have a supplemental security income (SSI) or social security disa-
bility insurance (SSDI), which is not available to all New York resi-
dents.

This bill would make it so that individuals who do not meet the current
DRIE criteria, will now qualify for the program upon providing certif-
ication from the individual and their healthcare provider that said
individual has a disability that prevents them from engaging in substan-
tially gainful activity.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined, however, New York City currently spends $25 million on
the DRIE program which covers 11,639 households in Fiscal Year 2020.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.