🔴 LIVE: Oversight Hearing on Freezing Rent for Senior and Disabled New Yorkers.

The New York City Council held a joint oversight hearing on September 18, 2026, focusing on the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRE) programs. The hearing addressed legislative proposals to raise the income eligibility cap for these rent freeze programs from $50,000 to $75,000, aiming to expand access for seniors and disabled New Yorkers amid rising housing costs. Council members and agency representatives discussed challenges in outreach, enrollment, and renewal processes, highlighting barriers such as fragmented application systems, language access, and underutilization in certain boroughs. The Department of Finance and Department for the Aging detailed current outreach efforts, application procedures, and fiscal impacts, including an estimated $4.5 million first-year cost for the income cap increase. Several bills were supported to streamline applications, improve training for city agency personnel, and enhance automatic enrollment. Public testimony from advocates, legal aid organizations, and community groups emphasized the critical need for expanded eligibility and better program awareness to prevent displacement of vulnerable populations. The hearing also included testimony from EMS workers addressing broader city service challenges, though the primary focus remained on rent freeze program improvements and related housing affordability measures.