Atlanta introduces plan to help retain first responders living in the city by helping out with rent WSB-TV Channel 2 [Video]

ATLANTA — Atlanta City Council members recently passed a resolution to provide rental assistance to help first responders stay in Atlanta.

”The program has been life-changing,” said Kiana Myers, an Atlanta firefighter.

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That program is known as the Community Safety Housing Program (CSHP). It offers rental assistance to fire, corrections, and police personnel.

To qualify, participants must live inside city limits and complete off-duty community service hours. In exchange, they receive up to $850 per month in housing assistance.

According to Zillow data, rent prices in the city are up nearly 36 percent over the last five years.

The increasing prices forced Myers to move out of the city she serves.

”I did have to choose to live outside the city limit. It just didn’t hit the same, it wasn’t my community,” Myers said.

The problem is a common one for cities across the country, according to Atlanta City Councilman …