City Renters Could See A Tax Break

Albany lawmakers are gearing up for a debate about whether roughly 1.1 million low- and middle-income renters in New York should receive a $300 tax credit, expected to cost the city $261 million a year.

Assemblyman Keith Wright of Harlem and state Senator Diane Savino, who represents parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn, introduced identical bills on Friday to allow the city to establish a renters tax credit program. Both lawmakers are Democrats. Mr. Wright said he expects strong support in the Assembly, but was uncertain about its reception in the Senate.

Mr. Wright said that he hopes that the Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, a Republican of Rensselaer County, will give the bill a good hearing, but added, "One never knows."

Mr. Bruno, who proposed ending rent control in New York City in 1997, is not considered a friend to pro-tenant groups. Mr. Bruno could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Mayor Bloomberg has not taken a position on the renters tax credit, first proposed by the City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, during her state of the city address in February. A family of four earning up to $75,000 a year would be eligible for the credit as would a single person earning up to $43,000 a year.

"If this is a council priority, then we assume it will be discussed during budget negotiations," a spokesman for the mayor, Stuart Loeser, said in a statement sent by e-mail.

When asked yesterday if Mr. Bloomberg's support is essential, Ms. Quinn said: "When you are trying to get legislation passed, you want as many people to support a bill as possible."

She noted that two-thirds of New York residents are renters and deserve relief from rising housing costs.

Critics of the proposed credit system say the city would be better served restructuring the property-tax system. Owners of commercial and rental properties often pass along the cost of tax hikes to their tenants, in the form of rent increases, they say.