"Like many government programs for seniors, it involves a process that most elderly people cannot possibly figure out, even if English were their first language, which is often not the case in New York City. Real estate people who deal with government programs and regulations know exactly what I'm talking about. Completing the forms, assembling the documents and submitting them is rarely a simple task."
"Real estate firms have staff to deal with such matters, but mom-and-pops are on their own. They can certainly empathize with senior citizens faced with these confounding tasks. One solution is to award benefits automatically based on tax returns. Some programs already do that. But low-income households are not required to file tax returns. People who don't file miss out on these benefits without even realizing they exist."
Seniors often require assistance to renew the senior citizen homeowners' exemption (SCHE) because the two-year renewal process involves complex forms and document assembly. The requirement for notarized affidavits in cases like condos and co-ops with no employees creates needless paperwork. Real estate firms can handle such compliance, but smaller owners and elderly applicants lack that support. Automatic award of benefits using tax returns and property tax records could simplify eligibility determinations. Low-income households that do not file tax returns would need alternative data sources to avoid exclusion. An online renewal process exists and is easier than the paper version.
Read at therealdeal.com
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