Report Finds Two-Thirds of NYC Seniors 70+ Pay Unaffordable Rents, Presents Policy Prescriptions to Help Them Stay Independent Longer
City
Comptroller John C. Liu today warned that New York faces a looming
crisis as the elderly population rises and rents skyrocket,
and offered a comprehensive strategy to alleviate the shortage of
affordable housing options.
“We
cannot let our seniors fall into poverty – we need to do more to help
them afford to stay in their homes,” Comptroller Liu said.
“Unfortunately,
the current administration’s measures are falling short. Increasing
affordable-housing options for seniors is not only the right thing to
do, it also makes financial sense. Helping seniors live independently
saves the City money in the long run by reducing
their reliance on costly social services.”
A
new report by the Comptroller’s office, “Senior Housing in New York
City: The Coming Crisis,” released today, examines the effects of
escalating
housing costs and offers recommendations that would not only help
lessen the burden on City seniors but also defray the need for more
intensive and expensive care. The City’s senior population is growing
fast: The number of New Yorkers over age 60 rose 12.4
percent from 2000 to 2010, as compared to a 2.1 percent increase in the
City population overall during that period, according to Census
figures.
And
those seniors are literally pushed to the wall. The report found that
53 percent of households headed by those between ages 60 and 69 pay
more than 30 percent of their income on rent – a level considered
unaffordable by federal standards – and fully 66 percent of households
headed by those 70 and over pay unaffordable rents by the same measure.
The report also found nearly 20 percent of the
City’s 60+ population lives below the poverty line compared to 9
percent nationally, and evictions of seniors account for 15 percent of
all evictions in the City.
While
the Mayor’s New Housing Marketplace Plan has worked to build or
preserve 125,000 affordable-housing units since 2004, more than 32,000
Mitchell-Lama units are no longer subject to affordability
requirements, and housing costs remain unaffordable for many segments of
the population – especially seniors. The Mayor’s plan also relies
extensively on federal funding support, which is increasingly
at risk.
The report recommends a number of measures, including:
·
Revise
rules on the City’s Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) to
take into account household size and inflation, plus increase outreach
efforts;
·
Create a property tax credit for families that take in elderly dependents;
·
Increase aid to programs that help seniors stay in their homes longer.
The full report is available at:
http://www.comptroller.nyc. gov/bureaus/opm/reports.shtm
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