CHARLESTON, W.Va. – This week, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the Volunteer First Responder Housing Act, bipartisan legislation to provide affordable housing opportunities for volunteer firefighters and first responders to help recruit and retain more volunteers, especially in rural and under-served communities.

“Hundreds of rural communities across West Virginia rely on volunteer firefighters and EMS professionals,” Senator Capito said. “This bill works to address the staffing and retention issues many stations face—some which were a result of the recent pandemic—by providing housing incentives. The goal is to encourage these local heroes to continue their brave work in their communities, and this bill gives them access to opportunities enjoyed by other public servants to help accomplish that.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association’s 2020 U.S. Fire Department Profile, 65% of firefighters nationwide are volunteers, and fire departments and local governments across the country rely on these volunteers to respond to a wide array of emergencies. Recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters is critical for thousands of communities, yet local volunteer fire departments, especially those serving small and rural communities, find it difficult to meet staffing needs and attract younger volunteers. Since 2019, there has been a 4% overall decrease in volunteer firefighters across the nation – the lowest total reported since 1991.

The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act would expand eligibility for qualified volunteer first responders to participate in certain federal housing assistance programs and provide a greater incentive for more volunteers to stay and continue to serve their communities.

“Cities, Towns and Villages in West Virginia rely significantly on volunteer first responders and continually find it difficult to recruit those professionals to stay and serve in their communities. And the West Virginia Municipal League applauds Senator Capito for her introduction of The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act that will add additional incentives to help attract top quality talent in our communities,” Travis L. Blosser, WVML Executive Director, said.

“The availability and affordability of housing can be a challenge when recruiting paramedics and EMTs to our rural counties. The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act will provide tools to help EMS personnel in West Virginia more easily establish homes within the communities they serve,” Chris Hall, Executive Director of the West Virginia EMS Coalition, said.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

This legislation makes it possible for more volunteer emergency responders to participate in the Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. This existing program assists approved lenders in providing loans to low-and moderate-income households to build, rehabilitate or improve a home in eligible rural areas. The bill will allow volunteers to participate in the loan program even if their income exceeds the maximum allowable income level by up to $18,000.

This bill also makes volunteer emergency responders eligible to participate in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program. This existing program gives law enforcement, teachers, career firefighters, and emergency medical technicians a 50% discount from the list price of a home located in a revitalization area.

More information on the Volunteer First Responder Housing Act is available here.

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