Police officers, firefighters and EMTs can now get a boost from the state of Connecticut to purchase their first homes.
With the First Responders’ Time to Own program, eligible workers can receive up to $25,000 towards the downpayment and closing costs to buy a house.
It is administered by the quasi-public Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA).
The program is part of a larger bill, signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont in June, that aims to bring in, and keep, first responders in Connecticut. The bill includes other incentives for first responders, such as college tuition waivers for state-run schools and programs to provide health care and financial support for families of retired firefighters and police officers.
“Being part of the community is a big part of community policing, and I know the firefighters, being able to be nearby the firehouse just makes an enormous difference,” Lamont said.
First responder eligibility
Eligible first responders must purchase a home in the community where they have worked for at least two years, in either a volunteer or career capacity.
There is also no income cap to qualify for the program, according to Department of Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno.
“The governor proposed expanding home ownership opportunities for first responders, in recognition of a simple principle: the people who safeguard our communities could have a meaningful opportunity to purchase a home where they work,” Mosquera-Bruno said.
Qualifying first responders include Commission on Fire Prevention and Control-certified firefighters, police officers certified by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council or licensed emergency medical services clinicians that may also be certified by the Department of Public Health.
The loan effectively functions as a lien on the property. However, each year, 10% is forgiven, until the loan is fully forgiven on the loan’s 10th anniversary.
Funding for the program will come from the preexisting Time to Own allocation, according to Mosquera-Bruno.
First responder retention
Connecticut, like much of the nation, is struggling to attract and retain first responders, according to Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell Higgins.
“We are about, probably, 250 troopers short today, but we are encouraged because we have 60 in the academy as we stand here today,” Higgins said.
The housing program, along with the other initiatives outlined in the state law, are an attempt to bring in more police and volunteer firefighters, Higgins said.
“These incentives that we're talking about here today are things that make people or make young people think about why they want to sign up. All of it helps in Connecticut,” Higgins said.
Buying a home or paying rent in Connecticut is expensive, and oftentimes first responder salaries aren’t enough, State Comptroller Sean Scanlon said.
In the last eight years, Connecticut’s seen a 61% drop in volunteer firefighters, according to Scanlon.
“What this program is all about is giving that person that little extra boost to put that money down for a down payment, to do those closing costs that are very prohibitive, oftentimes, for people who are starting out as cops, firefighters, or EMTs to raise a family, buy that first house, live that American dream on a firefighter or an EMT or a police officer's salary,” Scanlon said. “It's especially challenging when you're a volunteer because you're not getting paid, oftentimes, for that service.”
Applications open on Nov. 16 and while there isn’t a spending cap for the program, it is first-come, first-serve and eligible first responders are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
