{"id":18928,"date":"2023-05-10T14:39:34","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T18:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/?post_type=press-releases&p=18928"},"modified":"2023-05-10T14:39:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T18:39:35","slug":"sens-ossoff-rubio-brown-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-help-first-responders-teachers-buy-their-first-home","status":"publish","type":"press-releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/press-releases\/sens-ossoff-rubio-brown-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-help-first-responders-teachers-buy-their-first-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Sens. Ossoff, Rubio & Brown Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help First Responders & Teachers Buy Their First Home<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/em><\/a>Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/em><\/a>: Teachers can only afford 54% of homes in Atlanta; firefighters only 36%<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bipartisan bill backed by Georgia Municipal Association, Professional Fire Fighters of Georgia, American Federation of Teachers, Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Fire Fighters, National Association of Police Organizations, and more<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington, D.C. <\/strong>\u2013\u2013 U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing a bipartisan bill to help first responders and teachers become homeowners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Sens. Ossoff, Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, introduced the bipartisan Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder <\/em>(HELPER<\/em>) Act of 2023<\/em> to help first responders & teachers buy their first home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bipartisan bill would establish a new, one-time use home loan program under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for first responders and teachers to purchase their first home \u2014 modeled after a similar & successful VA home loan program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HELPER Act<\/em> would address the housing affordability crisis by eliminating the upfront home purchase costs and the monthly mortgage insurance premium for those who serve our communities \u2014 including teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m working across the aisle to support Georgia\u2019s teachers, first responders, and law enforcement officers by making homeownership more affordable for public servants who teach our kids and protect our families,\u201d said Sen. Ossoff.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHomeownership is a cornerstone of the American Dream. Our public servants\u2019 ability to reside in the neighborhoods they serve is crucial to the strength and resilience of our communities. As already high housing prices continue to rise, the HELPER Act<\/em> would ensure that our teachers and first responders can own a home in the communities they dutifully serve,\u201d Senator Rubio said.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, and first responders protect and serve our communities. Yet I hear from officers and educators in Ohio that too often they can\u2019t find an affordable place to live in the city or county where they work,\u201d said Senator Brown, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.<\/strong> \u201cWhen we make housing more affordable for teachers and first responders, we improve recruitment for these crucial jobs, and we give more Ohio families a shot at the middle class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representatives John Rutherford (R-FL) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) introduced companion bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives. The bill is also backed in the Senate by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bipartisan bill is also endorsed by the Georgia Municipal Association, Professional Fire Fighters of Georgia, <\/strong>American Association of State Troopers (AAST), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), International Association of EMTs and Paramedics (IAEP), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Education Association (NEA), National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), and National Troopers Coalition (NTC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSenator Ossoff has always been a champion for firefighters. The HELPER Act<\/em> will be a much-needed home buying benefit for our country\u2019s <\/a>firefighters, teachers, and other first responders. Georgia firefighters are thankful for Senator Ossoff\u2019s leadership and continued support for Georgia\u2019s firefighters,\u201d said Nate Bailey, President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Georgia.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking to increase access to and affordability of housing is one of the greatest concerns for city officials in all 537 cities across Georgia. It is vitally important that residents, including essential government workers who are on the front lines in our communities every day, are not displaced by rising housing costs. The HELPER Act<\/em> provides a bipartisan solution to the housing affordability crisis and includes common sense provisions that remove barriers to affordable housing. Georgia Municipal Association stands in support of this important legislation as it represents another tool in bolstering access and improving affordability for public servants who teach our children and protect our communities,\u201d said Larry H. Hanson, CEO and Executive Director of the Georgia Municipal Association<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of our nation\u2019s first responders and educators face financial obstacles when trying to buy a home in today\u2019s competitive housing market, often making it difficult for them to live in the community they serve. The HELPER Act<\/em> makes homeownership a reality for teachers, paramedics, EMTs, law enforcement officers, and firefighters,\u201d said Congressman John Rutherford (FL-05).<\/strong> \u201cModeled after the successful VA home loan program, the HELPER Act eliminates requirements for a down payment and a monthly mortgage insurance premium, removing some of the barriers preventing first responders and educators from purchasing a home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe nation continues to lean on the sacrifices and bravery of everyday, hardworking Americans \u2014 first responders, nurses, America\u2019s educators, and other public-sector employees \u2014 it\u2019s time for us to recognize their needs and create opportunities for them to own homes,\u201d said Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s time we eliminated the barriers that make it so difficult for our teachers and frontline workers to secure housing, and the HELPER Act<\/em> does just that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmerica\u2019s best are<\/a> drowning and we can\u2019t leave them behind. It\u2019s time for us to honor the brave heroes of the schools and streets by reducing the financial burdens accompanied with homeownership. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Rubio and Senator Ossoff for their support in turning this common-sense bill into a legislative reality,\u201d said Samuel P. Royer, president of Salute Home Loans & U.S. Marine Corps veteran.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Ossoff continues to work to address Georgia\u2019s housing affordability crisis in the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Sen. Ossoff secured a commitment<\/a> from U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Under Secretary for Rural Development, Xochitl Torres Small, to help increase the supply of affordable housing in Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here <\/a>to read the bipartisan HELPER Act<\/em>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Teachers can only afford 54% of homes in Atlanta; firefighters only 36% Bipartisan bill backed by Georgia Municipal Association, Professional Fire Fighters of Georgia, American Federation of Teachers, Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Fire Fighters, National Association of Police Organizations, and more Washington, D.C. \u2013\u2013 U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing a […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18928","press-releases","type-press-releases","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/18928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-releases"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/18928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18930,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/18928\/revisions\/18930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}