ATLANTA — Atlanta city leaders are trying to find ways to keep public safety workers from leaving, and they hope a new program to help with rent or a down payment will help.

“We suspect this will be high demand,” Atlanta City Councilman Amir Farokhi said.

Farokhi introduced the idea to use $500,000 in federal funds, to help with rent and housing for Atlanta firefighters, police officers and corrections officers.

“We hear from our public safety personnel that they would love to live in the city, but it’s a higher cost than where they are currently living,” he said.

The average rent in Atlanta is close to $2,000 a month. The median home price is more than $400,000, according to realtor.com.

“We’re sub-granting the dollars, these federal dollars to the police foundation, who’s been working with the Atlanta apartment association, to make this as seamless as possible for those who are interested,” Farokhi said.

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat went before county commissioners asking them to give his deputies as much as a 40% bump in pay. That money would come from taxpayers, Farokhi’s plan would use a federal grant.

“The state and the city owe it to ourselves to be as thoughtful and innovative as possible to make public safety careers attractive for folks,” Labat said.

Police officers and firefighters are not allowed to talk on camera, but Huddleston contacted a couple of sources and they told him this could be a game-changer, in terms of living in the city.

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