Metro city offering housing allowance to encourage officers, firefighters to live there

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — To recruit new officers and firefighters and keep current employees local, one metro city is offering a new incentive.

The City of South Fulton unveiled a program for housing allowance up to $450 a month toward rent or mortgage payments.

The pilot program, which is open to 25 people, will run from Feb. 1 until Sept. 30, but applications are due Friday.

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The incentive is part of the city’s efforts to encourage more public safety workers to live in South Fulton communities.

The city says about 27% of workers currently live in South Fulton. About 58% say they are interested in relocating to the city.

“Competition for experienced and skilled public safety employees has ramped up in the last year or two,” City Manager Tammi Saddler Jones said. “This program allows us to employ the best in the field who will become even more qualified to serve our city because they live here.”

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Employees must be sworn public safety workers with at least one year of service and hold the rank of police officer II or firefighter. The employee also must have a primary residence in South Fulton.

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