Key investment for affordable housing program for first responders

ATLANTA — Kiana Myers dons her uniform at Fire Station 36 in southwest Atlanta. Service is a firefighter-paramedic’s calling. Myers started as a rookie with the Atlanta Fire Department five years ago. She was officially sworn in to the department in 2021. She called the city home 13 years ago and attended Clark Atlanta University.

“I joined Atlanta Fire because I had a passion and a drive to serve,” Myers said. “I wanted to make a difference in the lives of citizens.”

Working in Atlanta is hard enough. Myers said that while Atlanta’s culture, people and attractions are very appealing to him, living in the city has become increasingly expensive over the years.

“The best way to be able to live in the community as prices have increased over the years is to budget better and use available resources.”

Myers takes advantage of resources like tuition reimbursement and the Community Safety Housing Program (CSHP) through the Atlanta Police Foundation. Myers said she wouldn’t be able to afford to live in the city without CSHP. Curtislene Bass, director of officer support programs for the Atlanta Police Foundation, said CSHP is approaching its first anniversary. So far, more than 50 firefighters, police officers and corrections employees are eligible for up to $850 per month in rental assistance. She added that the waiting list for assistance is also growing.

“We wanted them to live in the city,” Bass said. “We wanted them to stay in the city.”

To participate in the Community Safety Housing Program, you must be a sworn officer, have a letter of recommendation and be a renter within the city limits of Atlanta. CSHP is part of the Secure Neighborhoods initiative, which has four different components that provide first responders with affordable housing opportunities.

Each participant in the community housing program must complete at least one hour of community service at schools or at the At Promise center in Atlanta. Bass said this builds trust between first responders and the communities they serve.

“Kids see first responders in a different light,” Bass said. “They don’t see them as someone who’s coming to their rescue. They see them as an ordinary person who’s there to help them.”

The Atlanta City Council just approved $250,000, proposed by District 2 Councilman Amir Farokhi, to continue funding the Community Safety Housing program. An additional $250,000 is included in the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget for the program. Bass said the investment will help retain current first responders and attract new ones for years to come.

“By reinvesting in this program, I think they see that this is a movement that is ensuring public safety throughout the city, that we are being seen in a different light, and what they would like to see us do is expand that, broaden that, to have an even broader network of first responders throughout the city, doing all kinds of different things,” Bass said. “It shows us that public safety is a priority for the city of Atlanta.”

Farokhi said the program has led to a 15 percent increase in recruiting and retention of Atlanta police officers. Bass said the second phase of the program will put more emphasis on recruiting officers from outside the city of Atlanta. Kiana Myers said the program has made the difference between staying with Atlanta Fire Rescue and leaving for another job or agency.

“I feel connected and invested in this community, and this program allows me to stay in the community and also work in the same community,” Myers said.