[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6316021,"mediaKeyId","2377859-089ed3843016906f1bcf1b9444c4d2f6","parentId",2377859,"title","Seniors and disabled tenants press state to expand SCRE/DRIE: raise income cap, set tenant share at 30%","audioSeconds",616,"startMs",3623579,"endMs",4240195,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377859-089ed3843016906f1bcf1b9444c4d2f6&start=3623&end=4240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377859-089ed3843016906f1bcf1b9444c4d2f6/thumbnail_3623579.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6316021/New-York/Seniors-and-disabled-tenants-press-state-to-expand-SCREDRIE-raise-income-cap-set-tenant-share-at-30","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316021-530c83afbc3f255acac54ca5c59f0e79/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153036&Signature=E9h07MIdbIpAclGJm0mP0cv1VY~VmlSBypk3ldjcVIkd9LDdROdQPsCRLk~Zyjw9XV0Z87pg1MqfsuMhNtLqSKRaz46iN1j12BKlw-TxzreGrbRDajeeLlrVKEcOvDSyZwDjRVq7W0J0abF73hJA7AhLCR2sSRjJsbusoTYJBfYcaEG6IG~QOXL-xFhLrZ6sTgS2SXrxcqzPMu6MvsLcT14BiBJaP34MIKvnKZY3WiMbygEdXt-jeqLfQNRKNnPSdQFGu3JRatpt4ImWRWDl7ENMfxv95aTalKsLskrWOG0Mq2tYB4zPixNMfRW5s204~xHo8Yz3ZJvbYENk~MjNaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New York Legislature","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","Senators heard appeals from advocates, city and state officials, and community leaders pressing for reforms to the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRE) and Disabled Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE). Witnesses asked the legislature to raise income thresholds, index them for inflation and consider capping household rent contributions to one third of income.

Context from the hearing: Senator Cordell Cleare framed the problem in human terms: “Some people taking 1 pill and they’re supposed to take 2, cutting pills in half because they are trying to make sure they can pay rent,” he said, urging action for aging New Yorkers. Committee members and witnesses documented that the existing SCRE/DRIE rules have not kept pace with cost of living increases and that many enrolled households remain severely rent‑burdened despite benefit enrollment.

Program scale and costs: The Department of Finance provided participation and fiscal figures for the city program. For the most recent fiscal year DOF said SCRE served about 53,611 households and DRIE about 10,547. DOF also reported combined program costs of roughly $155 million last fiscal year (SCRE ~$127,207,000; DRIE ~$27,600,000). DOF officials cautioned that changing the program from a rent‑freeze to a subsidy that sets rent at 30% of income would increase costs “to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Advocates’ proposals: Tenant advocates, community groups and city council representatives urged three main changes: raise the household income eligibility cap (advocates proposed indexing the cap to inflation to protect purchasing power), change program mechanics so household rent is limited to a share (many advocates proposed 30% of household income) rather than simply freezing year‑to‑year increases, and expand outreach and automatic enrollment for seniors and people with disabilities.

Operational concerns and outreach: DOF and HPD officials described outreach mailings that increased enrollment but said program declines since the pandemic require renewed outreach and process improvements. DOF said targeted mailings to likely‑eligible households had led to substantial new enrollments: the agency mailed 19,000 households in one year and added several thousand beneficiaries in response. Officials also noted operational constraints and potential budget tradeoffs if the benefit were made more generous.

Local examples: Council members and local mayors described casework where small expansions would have helped prevent displacement of long‑term residents. Councilmember Gail Brewer said her office hosts a volunteer to help constituents with applications and supported raising the cap and indexing it to CPI.

Budget tradeoffs and next steps: DOF officials said any expansion must be considered in the context of the city and state budgets, and they flagged potential fiscal impacts — especially if the program were to guarantee that household rent not exceed 30% of income. Senators signaled interest in indexing the income limit to inflation and continuing technical work to estimate costs and possible offsets.

Ending: Advocates called the reforms a way to protect New Yorkers who have contributed decades to the city and state from displacement and further hardship as housing costs climb.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New York State Senate Joint Public Hearing - 02/18/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lawmakers heard repeated appeals from advocates and agencies to raise the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRE) and Disabled Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) income limits, index them to inflation, and explore capping tenants' rent share at 30% of income to prevent senior poverty and displacement.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NY, New York","taxId",77685,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316025,"Counties report start‑up delays, administrative gaps for new SAFE arrears program; urge larger allocations",18055,1301880,19357555,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377859-089ed3843016906f1bcf1b9444c4d2f6&start=1301&end=19357","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377859-089ed3843016906f1bcf1b9444c4d2f6/thumbnail_1301880.jpg","/articles/6316025/New-York/Counties-report-startup-delays-administrative-gaps-for-new-SAFE-arrears-program-urge-larger-allocations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316025-6d9276e098d1d475bd8891872421adf1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153036&Signature=HXKQXu1XDO2S~jHA5s0b74b4yp1oTfO3iY~FNRoiCIHKGpFS8Yc~kW6zXs13tnyItOK8095elVPpukjE80Bfj8imtSuOWYJ7thWTdNC4Ser35ErLGJ3U5NXf-g4kJKTH7LRBl9IY~~mrrg~1raRS8JQ6wj~BXG1DU73vkRJBOeKHy9bcv-SGeFsxMq4OxIpClaFApuw~r5ctc218KKWnCSzU06QAsLMERTG4b9jFBLKMo41jsObyO4ZD-upKsE-0joZ7gAvQxJwOMN5i4VMvRQfk3YtjRFzcNvoyQPlhd6wQjCldjyW1WTgi0h4ZGuFERMr5EGHQMitkdyJbE53I5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State and county officials told the Senate hearing that the newly created Shelter Arrears Eviction For Installment program (SAFE) can prevent evictions and preserve subsidies — but counties need time, clearer rules and more administrative funding to make it work at scale.

The program aims to pay rental arrears for households facing imminent eviction where other emergency programs are unavailable or unsuitable. Andrea Reid, deputy commissioner at New York City DSS, urged that New York City be allowed to participate: “New York City, DSS would encourage that this bill be amended to include New York City. Currently, we are excluded from that bill.” She argued the city’s experience shows arrears assistance prevents evictions and that city resources are best used alongside a statewide tool.

County experiences: Erie County Commissioner of Social Services Karen Rybicki said the local pilot showed clear results but flagged administrative friction. In her written and oral testimony she highlighted three practical issues: limited startup time, a heavy data and documentation requirement and a tight cap on administrative expenses. \"To date, we approved disbursement of 12% of our allocation, and that averted evictions and potential homelessness for 44 households,\" Rybicki said, adding that \"90% of those approved applications were for minority households and 88% of those referred were unable to pay the cost of ongoing rent.\" She urged a larger allocation and more administrative flexibility in future rollouts.

Legal‑services and nonprofit perspective: Legal aid and statewide providers confirmed SAFE reaches people who would otherwise fall through existing emergency‑assistance rules. Nick Rangel of Legal Aid Society for Northeastern New York and other legal advocates said many counties were still standing the program up and that limited allocations will run out quickly unless more funding is provided. Several witnesses urged raising the eligibility definition in some regions to a percentage of Area Median Income to better match local housing costs.

Operational tradeoffs: Counties and advocates urged simplifying reporting requirements and, where possible, enabling operator portals or other ways for landlords to submit verification directly to local districts so assistance can flow faster. Karen Rybicki explained that the program’s requirement to collect many data points plus a 10% cap on administrative costs constrained counties that lacked ready IT or case‑management capacity: “counties were not provided with an information system to be able to capture that required data…this left our county responsible to develop all the programming infrastructure required to begin issuing the allocated funds on only 10% of an administrative cost.”

Policy takeaways: Senators heard broadly that SAFE payments can be cost‑effective when they prevent families from entering the shelter system, but that the state should consider larger initial funding, clearer guidance to counties and modest administrative allowances so local programs can be stood up quickly and sustainably.

Next steps: County commissioners asked the legislature to expand funding in the FY2026 budget and to work with OTDA on administrative improvements to reduce delays and increase the program’s reach.

Ending: For counties with small allocations the program averted small batches of evictions; counties and advocates said that with more funding and streamlined administration, SAFE could have a much larger impact statewide.","County and nonprofit witnesses said the state SAFE arrears program can avert evictions but initial rollouts suffered technical and staffing hurdles; several counties asked for larger allocations and more flexible administrative allowances.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316029,"State hearing presses for statewide housing-access vouchers to prevent evictions and homelessness",9354,50285,9404555,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377859-089ed3843016906f1bcf1b9444c4d2f6&start=50&end=9404","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377859-089ed3843016906f1bcf1b9444c4d2f6/thumbnail_50285.jpg","/articles/6316029/New-York/State-hearing-presses-for-statewide-housing-access-vouchers-to-prevent-evictions-and-homelessness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316029-b64b750d450bf656a2a1dc58c8eb2ef4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153036&Signature=kleZLXsiKDE0-9nqseJkdsmJZH8nKeETpH8G8QtKsIpr9y-YK60N1f0NNvmH0WkQMDesJ6NZjZFGnz3ue6Zaj9mP-32mg6jt-8C-TyFYv0uAcYY12tXmuaLCfbXWDgjjX-ijd5uR3MIVVTqY25sLJi7hK-bFEnCjWeOvQdAbpy65inEHYUoov7Hqwb~cpoQ6h6dNbu8tTo8NVrdK2gmxSYAUsYarAG2~ZHjMaqIgTRXa-eSdMASetbzVGOvVs9wbm6eLXYeMU59npVa5tUaNquFWh9Y2-kH0Gm2Fjqk9-EL8jAnch1knzWbjxlroC2o2v7eGF6PLDT2FK6ltmArPQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State senators and housing experts on both sides of the aisle pressed for a New York‑funded voucher program to reduce evictions and homelessness at a joint public hearing focused on rental assistance.

Senator Brian Kavanagh, chairing the joint hearing, opened by naming the housing access voucher program as one of three priority topics lawmakers planned to scrutinize. “So today, we are focusing on the critical need for, increased availability of rental assistance in New York state. We’re gonna particularly focus on 3 programs that are intended to provide that. 1 is, the proposed housing access voucher program,” he said.

Why it matters: Witnesses said vouchers modeled on successful state programs elsewhere could prevent homelessness, reduce child poverty and keep people in their homes while the larger task of producing more housing continues. Ellen Davidson of the Legal Aid Society summarized the case for a statewide voucher fund that could be used both to prevent evictions and to place people in permanent housing: “The housing access voucher program is a program that was modeled on what Connecticut has had for decades,” she said, adding advocates want the state to make the program a priority this year.

Research and numbers: NYU’s Furman Center and other analysts told the committees a voucher program can produce measurable benefits but also requires durable funding. Brad Greenberg of the Furman Center warned a voucher commitment is a multi‑year budget obligation: “As rents continue to increase at a higher level relative to incomes ... the program gets more expensive.” He and other researchers noted that because vouchers keep existing households housed as well as help people come out of shelter, costs should be weighed against ongoing shelter and other public costs.

Nelson of provider and city officials: City agencies told senators they support efforts to expand access to vouchers but urged careful program design. Ahmed Tigani, first deputy commissioner at NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation & Development, and Lakisha Miller of NYCHA both said vouchers remain a critical tool — but emphasized the need for concurrent steps on housing supply and landlord incentives so voucher holders can actually find apartments. Andrea Reid, deputy commissioner at the city Department of Social Services, also urged the state version be structured so New York City can participate and so city systems can plug into it.

Providers and operators: Nonprofit and provider witnesses described models that lift barriers to lease‑up. Laura Lazarus of Anthos Home discussed a program that proactively reserves and prepares apartments, pays move‑in costs and furnishes units to speed placements. Chris Mann of WIN argued vouchers have broad downstream savings: his group’s analysis finds a $250 million state investment would support roughly 13,000 households statewide and generate emergency‑shelter savings in the first year alone.

Design tradeoffs: Testimony repeatedly returned to three design issues: who receives priority (people in shelter vs. people at imminent risk, or both); payment rules (how much of local Fair Market Rent to cover and whether to allow higher payment standards in expensive areas); and permanence (whether the state will provide long‑term renewal funding). Advocates also urged pairing the program with aggressive anti‑discrimination enforcement and housing navigation services to help voucher holders find units.

What senators said they’ll do next: Committee members emphasized they plan to press for a funded version of HAVP in the budget negotiations and to continue working through details on program eligibility, payment standards and landlord protections. Several witnesses also urged the state to move in concert with city and federal partners so the new vouchers do not displace existing recipients or merely intensify competition for scarce units.

Ending note: Supporters urged quick action to add a state‑level safety net for households that federal vouchers don’t reach. As Ellen Davidson put it: “We need more support. And so, as we go into negotiations, … we’re coming to ask that it, not be a priority of many, but maybe move to the top of the list.”","Advocates, researchers and city officials told state senators a New York-funded Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP) could stabilize thousands of households, but implementation design, long-term funding and landlord participation must be addressed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Seniors and disabled tenants press state to expand SCRE/DRIE: raise income cap, set tenant share at 30%

Counties report start‑up delays, administrative gaps for new SAFE arrears program; urge larger allocations

State hearing presses for statewide housing-access vouchers to prevent evictions and homelessness