Kavanagh Pleased To See NYC Authorize SCRIE Increase

A bill passage that flew under the radar at yesterday's City Council stated meeting was the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) threshold increase from $29,000 to $50,000.

SCRIE is a program that applies to rent-regulated tenants over the age of 62, freezing the rent that they pay at one-third of their income. The Council bill, sponsored by Councilwoman Margaret Chin, was the final step to pave the way for the SCRIE increase after its authorization in the state budget. Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, who was instrumental in moving the SCRIE increase forward, having first introduced it as legislation in 2007, was delighted to see the city give final approval. 

"It’s something I’ve worked on for a long time, I was very pleased to see it get through," Kavanagh said. 

The SCRIE increase was listed as a priority in Mayor Bill de Blasio's affordable housing plan released last week, furthering his preservation goals for senior housing and contributing to his overall goal of 200,000 affordable housing units created or preserved. Kavanagh estimated that the bill would make 22,000 new households eligible for the rent increase exemption. 

"It’s become increasingly difficult to afford to continue to live in the communities they’ve built," Kavanagh said. "That’s a problem that was a prominent problem in 2007 but has become more prominent each year."