A U.S. Senator from the Peach State has partnered with one from Florida to draft legislation that would make home ownership “more affordable” for first responders and teachers.
Senator Jon Ossoff and Senator Marco Rubio filed legislation titled “Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act of 2021” in which the duo hopes to make homeownership “more accessible and affordable for teachers and first responders.”
The bipartisan bill would establish a new, one-time use home loan program under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for police officers, fire fighters, medical first responders, and teachers. Specifically, the HELPER Act would eliminate the upfront home purchase costs and the monthly mortgage insurance premium for those who meet one of the employment types.
“With this bipartisan bill, I’m working across the aisle to support Georgia’s teachers, first responders, and police officers by making home ownership more affordable for public servants who teach our kids and protect our families,” Sen. Ossoff in a news release.
“First responders and teachers work tirelessly to serve our communities, and they have faced incredibly difficult circumstances over the past two years,” Sen. Rubio said. “As housing prices continue to skyrocket, our bill would help ensure that teachers and first responders can own a home in the communities they dutifully serve.”
A companion piece of legislation has been filed in the House of Representatives by Representatives John Rutherford (R-FL), Al Lawson (D-FL), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and John Katko (R-NY).
Sen. Ossoff has continually professed his promise to address the rising costs of housing in Georgia. Earlier this month in a Banking Committee hearing, Sen. Ossoff asked Biden Administration nominees for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to visit cities across Georgia and work with him to increase the available supply of housing for homebuyers and renters.
Click here to read the HELPER Act.
