VOICES: Ohio’s congressional delegation has an opportunity to help first responders and teachers

Since September 2018, Ohio’s median home price has grown from about $152,000 to over $244,000, a staggering 60.5% increase in five years. For our public servants, salaries haven’t grown at a commensurate rate. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and teachers serve our cities every day, and yet many of them can’t even afford to live here.

As mayors, we have worked to make housing more affordable, but there is only so much we can do at the local level. Our dedicated first responders and teachers deserve more. Thankfully, some members of Congress are stepping up to the plate to help address this crisis.

To that end, Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), alongside Representatives John Rutherford (R-FL) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), have introduced the Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act.

A bipartisan, bicameral bill designed to make housing more affordable for first responders and teachers, the HELPER Act would create a new loan option insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Through the HELPER Act, first time homebuyers who work as police and corrections officers, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, or preK-12 teachers would be able to obtain a home loan insured by the federal government with no money down and no monthly mortgage insurance payment. Because the loan would be simply insured by FHA, the homebuyers, not the government, are still responsible for payments.

In short, the HELPER Act would make homeownership more accessible and more affordable for our home front heroes – at no cost to taxpayers.

Not only would the HELPER Act make it easier for many first responders to purchase homes in our community, but it would help address the growing workforce shortages our city faces. Here in Ohio and across the country, police and fire departments, ambulance services, and schools are struggling to fill vacancies. Such critical services cannot go understaffed. The HELPER Act would help recruit and retain high-quality, dedicated professionals who are eager to serve their communities but concerned about uncompetitive pay in the face of out-of-control housing costs.

Finally, the HELPER Act would serve as a thank-you to some of those who deserve it most. These brave folks wake up every day, ready to give their time – and too often, their lives – in service to their communities. They deserve to live in safe, affordable homes, but many of them can’t. The HELPER Act would help us give back to those who give us so much.

Senator Brown and Representatives Greg Landsman (OH-01), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), and Mike Turner (OH-10) have joined the fight to pass the HELPER Act. We applaud their support. Sadly, however, the rest of Ohio’s congressional delegation has not yet done the same, despite their vocal support for first responders.

We call on Representatives Brad Wenstrup (OH-02), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Jim Jordan (OH-04), Bob Latta (OH-05), Bill Johnson (OH-06), Max Miller (OH-07), Warren Davidson (OH-08), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Troy Balderson (OH-12), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Dave Joyce (OH-14), and Mike Carey (OH-15), as well as Senator JD Vance (R-OH), to put their vocal support into practice by cosponsoring the HELPER Act. That small effort would go a long way toward materially improving the lives of first responders across Ohio and the entire country.

Senator Vance and members of Ohio’s U.S. House delegation, join me in supporting the HELPER Act. It’s good for first responders. It’s good for Ohio. It’s the right thing to do.

This letter was authored by Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims, Athens Mayor Steve Patterson, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley, Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield and New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding.