August 14, 2014
By Stephanie West
New York, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio has signed legislation into law to raise the minimum income level of disabled New Yorkers eligible for the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) program to $50,000 a year.
Introductory 422-A expands rent increase exemption benefits for disabled New Yorkers living in rent-regulated housing by raising the minimum income level to $50,000 a year—providing DRIE eligibility to at least 3,000 additional households—and simplifying eligibility determinations by setting a single income limit, regardless of household size. In May 2014, similar legislation was passed to increase the income limit for seniors in the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program to $50,000, and today’s legislation will increase the DRIE income limit to match SCRIE. Intro. 422-A will take effect as of July 1, 2014 and will be in effect for those applying to DRIE for two years. The state legislature recently passed legislation authorizing the City Council to pursue this change, and Governor Cuomo signed this legislation into law on July 22, 2014. The bill was approved by the City Council at the stated meeting on July 24, 2014.
“Every New Yorker deserves to live in safe and affordable housing—no matter how much they earn. Our administration is committed to ensuring disabled New Yorkers are provided the same access and services as every other resident of our city, and this legislation brings us one step closer to this critical goal,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
