Volunteer First Responder Housing Act
Housing Help for Volunteer First Responders
The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
The bill has support from both parties, which helps its chances. However, many bills like this never make it to a final vote because of a crowded schedule in Congress.
Key Points
- This bill helps volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians buy homes by giving them access to federal housing programs. Right now, many of these benefits are only available to full-time, paid first responders.
- To qualify, a volunteer must have served for at least two years. They also need to work at least 200 hours a year or meet their local department's requirements for active membership.
- The plan allows volunteers to use a $18,000 income deduction when applying for certain rural housing loans from the Department of Agriculture. This deduction helps volunteers meet the income rules needed to get a government-backed mortgage.
- It also lets volunteers participate in federal programs that sell homes at a discount. This allows them to buy homes in the communities they serve, as long as they are certified in their state or local area.
- Volunteers would need to provide a letter from their department head to prove their service. They must also promise to keep volunteering for at least one year after they buy their home.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Volunteer First Responder Housing Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.