How Can People With Disabilities Stop Rent Increases?

By: ACCESS NYC

New York City helps tenants with disabilities stay in affordable housing by freezing their rent. This means tenants can keep paying what they were paying even if the landlord increases the rent. The landlord will get a property tax credit that covers the difference between the new and original rent amount. 

To be eligible, you should be able to answer “yes” to these six questions:

  1. Are you 18 or older?
  2. Is your name on the lease?
  3. Is your combined household income $50,000 or less in a year?
  4. Do you spend more than one-third of your monthly income on rent?
  5. Do you live in NYC in one of these types of housing?
    • a rent stabilized apartment
    • a rent controlled apartment
    • a Mitchell-Lama development
    • a Limited Dividend development
    • a redevelopment company development
    • a Housing Development Fund Company (HDFC) Cooperative development
    • a Section 213 Cooperative unit
    • a rent regulated hotel or single room occupancy unit
  6. Do you have income from the following benefits?
    • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    • Federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
    • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability pension or compensation
    • Disability-related Medicaid if you received either SSI or SSDI in the past

To find out if you qualify (and how to get started) click on "Learn more" below

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Last Reviewed: August 10, 2023