Rep. Ritchie Torres introduces mental health bill

Everyone deserves to age with dignity and security.”

ERIC DINOWITZ, City Councilman

U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced legislation last week aiming to advance accessible and comprehensive mental health care services. The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Act of 2024 seeks to modify the existing Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014.

According to a press release from Torres, it would specifically address the definition of psychiatric rehabilitation services within demonstration programs aimed at enhancing community mental health services. “Despite the significant growth in mental health awareness in recent years, access to essential services and person-centered care models remains rooted in outdated practices,” Torres stated Feb. 7. “Many communities still lack adequate and equitable access to a diverse range of mental health services. By enhancing service accessibility and broadening care options, we can enhance outcomes for individuals grappling with severe mental illness and bolster the well-being of entire communities.

“This legislation aims to widen access to these critical services, ensuring that individuals in need of essential mental health support are not left behind.”

The release cited data stating 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness annually and suicide ranks the second leading cause of death among individuals who are between the ages of 10 and 14. The proposed legislation would attempt to connect those in need to mental health services. The bill received support from several clubhouses across the country, including Mental Health Connections, Hero House NW and Fountain House.

“By recognizing and incorporating psychosocial services as integral tools for recovery, this legislation addresses critical gaps in our mental health infrastructure that have, for too long, relied solely on clinical care,” CEO of Fountain House Ken Zimmerman stated. “As local clubhouses are leveraged for their expertise, we hope it will ultimately create a more comprehensive and coherent mental health ecosystem that can meet people where they’re at and more meaningfully address the social drivers of health.”

— Eric Harvey

Dinowitz’s housing security bill passes

The City Council passed legislation last Thursday aiming to reduce the burden of applying for the city’s older adult rent freeze program for those living in city-run Mitchell-Lama housing.

The legislation, sponsored by Councilman Eric Dinowitz, would require the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to provide an application form for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption Program to residents in Mitchell-Lama apartment buildings to those eligible for the SCRIE program.

“Everyone deserves to age with dignity and security,” Councilman Dinowitz said in a press release. “When we talk about affordable housing it’s not just about a roof over our heads, it’s about the life-sustaining stability that affordable housing provides. With this bill, we will ensure that our older adults can live independently and with peace of mind.”

Dinowitz said that by simplifying the SCRIE process for city-run Mitchell-Lama tenants, they would give both support to older neighbors and set a precedent for measures to enhance the affordable housing stock.

The bill would establish a streamlined system for tenants and also mandate it so the HPD uses existing data such as age and income to automatically populate the SCRIE forms and ensure eligible individuals are reached proactively. The form would be provided to eligible residents with a letter explaining the features of the program and information on how to review the form and apply.

According to a City Council press release, about 16 percent of New York residents who are 65 and older account for the city’s population with a projected increase of 20 percent by 2024.

Dinowitz’s bill seeks to make the program more accessible to that growing population. His bill was one of several that were passed by the council on Feb. 1.

“Today, the council took comprehensive action to improve health outcomes and extend life expectancy for all New Yorkers,” Speaker Adrienne Adams said. “Our legislation will support our city in its efforts to recover from the lingering effects of the pandemic and help address the pre-existing disparities in health treatment and outcomes that were exacerbated by it.

“Our efforts to expand support services for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence to be safe are a continuation of this council prioritizing help for crime victims. Older adults, who have contributed so much to our city, deserve our attention and support, and the Council’s bill to ease the application process for rent increase exemptions for those living in Mitchell-Lama apartments will help them age in place.” — Eric Harvey

Lander report: Housing affordability fell dramatically

Housing affordability is at its worst in decades, according to a report released this week by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

The rental vacancy rate fell to a multi-decade low of 1.4 percent, down dramatically from 4.5 percent in 2021, according to New York City’s 2023 Housing & Vacancy Survey. The vacancy rate of apartments that rent below $1,650 – approximately affordable to the average New Yorker – was less than 1 percent.

Housing creation has lagged badly behind job creation since the Great Recession, according to Lander.

The intensifying affordability crisis calls for bold action at federal, state, and local levels. In Albany, the pressure is on to reach a housing deal that eluded the governor and the Legislature last year – to increase housing supply, strengthen tenant protections with good-cause eviction legislation, and expand housing vouchers.

Lander announced his office has proposed a new framework for the taxation of multifamily housing development (to replace 421-a) to increase housing supply across income levels, better matching costs and benefits, protect public finances, and insure that affordable units are genuinely affordable.

Called “Building Blocks of Change,” it outlines management reforms to enable the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development to expand its capacity to build and preserve housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers.