ATLANTA (AP) – A new program helps Atlanta police officers achieve the dream of home ownership while at the same time aiming to increase police visibility and improve engagement between officers and the community.
Officer Michael Costello, 28, is set to move this week into the first house renovated as part of the Atlanta Police Foundation’s Secure Neighborhoods initiative. The house, which was run-down and vacant and contributed to blight in the Edgewood neighborhood, has been completely redone and will now contribute to the area’s safety, said foundation vice president of programs Marlon Trone.
The foundation is working with partners, including homebuilders, banks, government agencies and nonprofit groups, to acquire and build homes in city neighborhoods. Officers who buy homes through the program are eligible for down payment and equity incentives, as well as monthly cash stipends they get for their active participation in the neighborhoods where they live.
The neighborhoods are selected using several criteria, including their need and probability for successful stabilization, the availability of vacant and foreclosed homes, and the presence of community members willing to work with the program.
Costello, who was hired in 2011 and became a sworn officer in May 2012, has moved from one rented apartment to another. Ready to put down some roots and stop moving, he beat out dozens of other officers who applied to live in the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with dark hardwood floors and a big back deck.