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Affordable Housing Legislative Goals

-To expand affordable housing for the elderly throughout the state, including through establishing a partnership authority to finance or collaborate in the financing of housing projects.

- To expand senior citizen rent-exemption and tax-abatement programs, as well as increase adjustments to eligibility criteria for such programs, that could help seniors to save money and so better meet their medical and prescription-drug costs.

- To allow New York City to have “home rule” on rent laws and to eliminate the Urstadt law that allows city landlords to limit naturally occurring retirement communities. These measures should be matched by a move to renew rent-regulation laws, but without the harmful provisions for vacancy decontrol.

- To establish a program under the State Office for the Aging designed to keep seniors in their own residences and communities while they receive home care and other services.

Housing Bills supported by Statewide Senior Action

Age Integrated Communities
Directs SOFA and the Dept. of State to model zoning and planning guidelines to foster age-integrated communities, and recommend to the governor and legislature how to assist mixed-use, age-integrated housing development and redevelopment.

Assembly Bill #   A4989 Englebright

Senate Bill #         S3720 Golden

Status:                   Passed Assembly. In Senate Aging Committee.

Caregivers Assistance Act
Gives income tax credits and deductions, and real property tax exemption to certain persons who help seniors.

Assembly Bill #   A1464 Englebright

Senate Bill #         S459 Golden

Status:                   Passed Senate Investigations Committee, in Finance.

                                In Assembly Ways & Means.

Seniors’ rent exemption & tax abatement
Permits municipalities to create senior citizen rent exemption and tax abatement program, so landlords reduce taxes and must pass savings along to seniors.

Assembly Bill #   A828 Englebright

Senate Bill #         No Senate same as bill.

Status:                   Passed Assembly Aging Committee and Codes Committee, in Ways and Means.

STAR tax relief for Seniors
Provides relief for seniors through the school tax relief (STAR) program.

Assembly Bill #   A896 Englebright

Senate Bill #        No Senate Bill

Status:                 Passed Assembly Aging Committee, in Ways and Means.