San Francisco Proposes Student Loan Forgiveness Fund For First Responders

Authored by Summer Lane via The Epoch Times,

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors this week approved an ordinance establishing a student loan forgiveness program for first responders in the city, if voters approve the measure during the November election.

The ordinance, sponsored by Supervisors Ahsha Safaí, Matt Dorsey, and Shamann Walton, will allow voters to decide if the city’s administrative code should be amended for the purpose.

The fund would pay outstanding student loans and job-related educational training expenses for first responders employed by the city, according to the proposal.

It would apply to members of the police, fire, and sheriff’s departments. Paramedics, registered nurses, 911 dispatchers, and emergency supervisors and coordinators would also qualify, per the ordinance.

During a rules committee meeting July 22, Safaí, who is running for mayor this year, said staffing shortages among first responders in the city had become a “dire situation.” He also described the public safety and healthcare system in San Francisco as “severely strained.”

“We need creative incentives to prevent a catastrophic breaking point and ensure that we can attract and retain excellent, qualified candidates to serve our city’s public safety ecosystem,” he said.

Safaí said the ordinance, if passed, would go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.

To qualify, candidates would also have to be employed for at least three years, he said.

“These are all the people we count on every single day, and we must prioritize proper staffing levels,” he said.

According to a letter from the city controller’s office in July, funding for the program would be appropriated by the mayor and the board of supervisors or private donations.

According to Safaí, the ordinance’s goal is to build the loan forgiveness and job training fund to $25 million and provide up to $25,000 in loan forgiveness and job training for each qualifying employee.

The ordinance needs more than 50 percent approval from voters to pass.