Georgia politicians throw support behind bill to help first responders buy first home

Sen. Jon Ossoff and Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. visited Columbus Monday afternoon to show support for the Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act.

The HELPER Act, if passed, would seek to help first responders and teachers who are first-time homebuyers, according to the bill.

Eligible individuals could receive a first-time mortgage on a primary residence with no down payment, according to the bill summary on congress.gov.

Ossoff and Bishop stood in the Public Safety Building surrounded by local officials, including Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis, Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman, and Columbus Fire & EMS Chief Sal Scarpa.

Ossoff gave an update stating that the HELPER Act currently has 25 bipartisan co-sponsors in the senate and around 130 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives.

Ossoff said public servants aren’t doing their jobs for the money but because they’re committed to the public. “They make financial sacrifices in serving the public and they put their lives on the line in serving the public,” he said.

“This is a question of fairness,” added Ossoff. “In a fair country public servants can afford a home in the communities they serve,” he continued.

Ossoff said it makes it more difficult to form bonds of trust, understanding and communication when law enforcement, firefighters, and teachers can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.

“We lean on the sacrifices and the bravery of our everyday hardworking Americans like these folks right here,” Bishop said.

He followed by stating, “We can never pay them enough for the risk and the sacrifices that they and their families make every single day.”

Countryman said, “This is a great help for law enforcement, medical workers, education folk; this will help us to give them the dream of owning a home.”

Mathis followed and said, “The HELPER Act is going to be a game-changer for law enforcement.” He continued, “It’s going to allow our young police officers to purchase a home in the communities they live in.”

“That’s the key, for us to get our police officers to live in the communities that they serve,” said Mathis.

Scarpa followed Mathis’ sentiment and said, “There’s nothing that grounds an individual more in their community than owning a home.”