The City of Pine Bluff is willing to spend big to bring its first responders home. The city council approved a resolution Monday night to offer a forgivable loan as an incentive for any police officer or firefighter who wants to buy a home and move inside city limits.
The city will budget up to $100,000 for the loans, which will help first responders pay for closing costs and down payments. The city will offer $5,000 to anyone who buys a home within city limits and lives there and remains on the job for five years; if the home is within Pine Bluff’s Urban Renewal Area near downtown, the amount increases to $10,000. If they leave the job in fewer than five years, they will have to repay the loan. If they live closer to their stations, first responders can respond faster in an emergency, and it is easier for officers to patrol a community when they live there, too. But supporters of the housing incentive see many other reasons to like it.