Affordable Housing in the Communities They Serve: An Under Addressed Issue for Law Enforcement
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The prompt for this round of the FEDforum is: What is one area of law enforcement you think does not get enough attention? This week, hear from Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA).
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) is dedicated to issues aimed at improving the law enforcement profession and supporting federal law enforcement officers and agents — this includes many common issues like ensuring adequate pay and benefits, training, and resources to do their job; but one FLEOA initiative that is rarely discussed is ensuring law enforcement officers have access to affordable housing in the communities they serve.
With the historic increases in housing prices in many areas, the dream of home ownership is out of reach for many first responders.
The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported this month showed the median sales price of a new home jumped 18% from a year earlier to a record $407,700. Recent transportation bottlenecks, elevated material costs, and worker shortages have delayed the completion of new homes and increased prices. Reports indicate it will take 6.3 months to exhaust the current supply of new homes, compared to 3.6 months at the beginning of 2021.
For first responders, being able to live in or near the communities we serve plays an important role in understanding local conditions and culture, building community bonds, and mitigating stressors. When a law enforcement officer carries stress associated with their living situation, it can be damaging to their focus and effectiveness while on the job.
For these reasons, FLEOA recently endorsed the bipartisan HELPER Act introduced by Reps. Al Lawson (D-FL), John Rutherford (R-FL), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and John Katko (R-NY) in the House and Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in the Senate.
The bill’s full name is the Homes for Every Local Provider, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act, and it would establish a new, one-time home loan program for law enforcement officers, firefighters, medical first responders, and teachers.
The HELPER Act would:
Create a new home loan assistance program administered by the Federal Housing Administration for law enforcement officers, firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), paramedics, and pre-K-12 teachers who have served for at least four years in their respective roles.
Eliminate a mortgage down payment requirement.
Eliminate a monthly mortgage insurance premium requirement.
Include a 3.6% upfront mortgage insurance premium to help fund the program.
Only allow for one-time use of the program by eligible individuals.
Require reauthorization after five years.
In a letter announcing FLEOA’s endorsement of the bill, FLEOA President Cosme explained, “With the historic increases in housing prices in many areas, placing home ownership out of reach for those that serve their community, the HELPER Act would establish a new home loan program for first responders and educators… FLEOA looks forward to working with [lawmakers] to ensure first responders and others that work to support and protect our communities are able to achieve the American dream of home ownership at a time when that dream seems far out or reach for far too many.”
This column from FLEOA is part of the FEDforum, an initiative to unite voices across the federal community. The FEDforum is a space for federal employee and law enforcement groups to share their organizations’ initiatives and activities with the FEDagent audience.
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