Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Borough President Molinaro’s promotion campaign for Senior Citizen Homeowners Exemption a great success
Hundreds Calling B.P.’s Helpline Office For Applications Before March 15th Deadline
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President Molinaro today said his efforts to promote awareness of the City’s Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption (SCHE), have been very successful, with hundreds of Staten Islanders calling his office for applications before the March 15th deadline.
“More than 300 people have called my Helpline for applications since we started promoting the SCHE program last month – 100 alone since last Wednesday when I held a press conference with Finance Commissioner Martha Stark,” said Molinaro. “To follow up, Finance’s Community Outreach Director will be visiting the Island’s senior centers to urge eligible homeowners to enroll in the SCHE program before next month’s deadline.”
The SCHE program provides up to a 50 percent property tax exemption for eligible seniors who own and occupy residential properties. Last year, the City raised the income threshold for people eligible for the 50 percent cut from $24,000 to $26,000, but seniors making up to $34,400 a year can also qualify for tax breaks based on an income sliding scale.
To be eligible, the homeowner must be 65 or older, and must have owned the property for at least one year. If the property is co-owned by spouses, only one has to be over 65. If someone other than a spouse is a co-owner, all owners must be older than 65. The property must be the applicant’s legal residence, must be used exclusively for residential purposes and may have no more than three dwelling units.
Applications must be received by the New York City Department of Finance by March 15th for benefits beginning on July 1st. Applications are available at the Borough President’s Helpline office in Borough Hall (718-816-2000), or can be downloaded from the Finance Dept.’s website at www.nyc.gov/finance. For more information, call 311.
February 14, 2007