Senator Tammy Baldwin has teamed up with a North Dakota Republican to help our nation’s first responders.
Sen. Baldwin and Sen. Kevin Cramer have introduced the Volunteer First Responder Housing Act, which they say will lower the cost of housing for volunteer firefighters and first responders.
Specifically, the bill makes it possible for more volunteer emergency responders to participate in the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program through the USDA.
The 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.
Sen. Baldwin said of the measure, “Our volunteer first responders risk their lives every single day to protect their communities from fires, accidents, natural disasters, and so much more – all out of the goodness of their hearts and commitment to their communities. We need to be doing more to support these folks, grow this workforce, and keep our communities safe.”
The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act is supported by the National Volunteer Fire Council, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Housing Assistance Council, the Wisconsin State Firefighters Association, the Wisconsin EMS Association, and the Wisconsin Towns Association.
