Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
State Senator Floats Plan To Give Tax Relief To Strapped NY Renters
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 14, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Flickr
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 14, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A state senator is proposing a plan to offer tax relief to New Yorkers who pay more than 30 percent of their income in rent, according to the Daily News.
Brian Benjamin, a Democrat whose district includes Harlem, Washington Heights and the Upper West Side, intends to introduce legislation on Tuesday in Albany that is modeled after a federal bill introduced by U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Last year, Harris rolled out the Rent Relief Act, which would provide a refundable tax credit for individuals paying more than 30 percent of their pre-tax income on rent, including utilities. How much one gets back depends on income. For example, under Harris's plan, those in the lowest bracket, making less than $25,000 a year, would be entitled to any amount paid in rent that was over 30 percent of their income.
Those paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent are considered "rent-burdened," and according to a recent survey, at least 44 percent of all renters are paying at least that much.
“Rents for our citizens continue to climb and increase beyond their ability to pay,” Benjamin told the Daily News. “We continuously hear about how tenants are rent burdened and pay is not keeping pace. This is a way to provide some relief."
Benjamin's plan would cap out for those who earn more than $125,000 a year.
Policy experts, however, have criticized such subsidy proposals for failing to address the main problem for renters in cities like New York, which is a shortage of housing.
“Throwing money at demand-side subsidies when you have constraints on supply can actually make the problem worse, because you’re just going to drive up prices that much further,” Jenny Schuetz, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, told Curbed in June. “It’s a misguided approach to the problem to think that you can just give people more money.”
In September, Benjamin, a former real estate developer and reality TV star, filed papers with the New York City Campaign Finance Board to explore a 2021 run for city comptroller.
Tagged
renters
state legislation
the rent is too damn high
subsidies
real estate
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say
Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
News
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid
By
Carol Chen
National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law
By
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .