IAEP Supports Homebuyer Assistance Bill for First Responders

The International Association of EMTs and Paramedics (IAEP) endorsed legislation that aims to make it easier for teachers, firefighters, law enforcement and EMS providers to purchase a house in the community that they serve.

The Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act, reintroduced to Congress in March, would create a single-use home loan program specifically for educators and first responders that includes no down payment or monthly mortgage insurance. The IAEP joins over a dozen other labor unions and alliances in supporting the bill, which has been sponsored by House and Senate Democrats and Republicans alike.

Too often, these high-stress and high-commitment careers don’t come with high- paying salaries, and EMTs and paramedics struggle to afford their first home. The HELPER Act would work to alleviate this financial burden for the people who work to keep us safe, allowing them to access the housing they need to serve their communities.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency medical personnel fought on the frontlines against a deadly global virus. At that time, the nation named them heroes. In the post-pandemic world, these same heroes now fight the rise of inflation, stagnation of wages, skyrocketing cost of rent, a housing market fraught with uncertainty and the constant unease of preparing for a recession. The passage of the HELPER Act would decrease the burden for EMS professionals trying to find stability in the communities they serve and want to call home.  

The IAEP is proud to support this bill and urges all to contact their local representatives to express their support as well.

You can find your congressmen here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member