REMARKS
Council Member Dinowitz Discusses Protection for Seniors Facing Rent Increases
0:33:04
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132 sec
Council Member Dinowitz highlights the challenges facing New Yorkers in securing affordable housing, specifically addressing skyrocketing costs in the Mitchellama program. By introducing Bill intro 25a, Dinowitz proposes leveraging existing application processes to assist older adults through the senior citizen rent increase exemption program, aiming to make it easier for seniors to access rent freeze benefits and age in place with dignity.
Speaker 14
0:33:04
Thank you, Matt, a majority leader.
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Housing stability is critical to the well-being of New Yorkers.
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And one of the great programs we have for affordable housing in our city is the Mitchellama program.
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It's a program that helped uplift me and my family years ago.
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This program helps tens of 1000 of New Yorkers build and maintain groups in a community and allows those residents to live comfortably in our communities.
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But even the affordability of our Michalama units is under attack.
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All over the city, Michalamas are seeing skyrocketing monthly costs.
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In my district, Tracy Towers is seeing a rent increase of 22%.
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Cannon Heights is seeing their maintenance increase by 44%.
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And while these increases are unconscionable, our seniors are under particular threat.
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Often on a fixed income and facing rising costs in every other facet of their life, There is one program that can help protect them.
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That's the senior citizen rent increase exemption program.
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Residents of the Mitchellama program right now provide HPD with much of the required information on the screen application through their income affidavit, which they fill out every year.
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My Bill intro 25 a simply requires HPD to take that information and use it to fill out screen applications for our older adults.
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This makes life easier for our older adults and allows more of them to access our rent freeze program.
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As the percentage of older adults both seeking shelter and facing financial insecurity increases, it is imperative that we do everything in our power to keep them in their homes so they can age in place with dignity.
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Keeping seniors in their home is the right thing to do.
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And requiring our government to work efficiently is the smart thing to do.
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I wish to thank chair Hudson for hearing the bill, speaker Adams, for bringing it to a vote.
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Jenna Claus and Adam Star APoli from my staff, Christopher Pepe from the ledge division, Terry Cologne, all 45 of my colleagues that signed on to this bill for your unbroken commitment to making our city a more equitable place for our older adults.
0:35:14
Thank you.
Speaker 1
0:35:16
Accounts member, Sherman.
