Housing crisis becomes safety crisis when cops, firefighters can’t live in community they protect

As Americans endure crippling home prices that have increased 60 to 70% in the last 20 years, one of the direst consequences for communities is that the men and women who serve as law enforcement and firefighters cannot live in the very towns they protect and serve. 

"For somebody working in a city, you have to move out further and that's going to take you away from the community where you wanted to volunteer, where they grew up their whole lives, where they wanted to be an active member of the community in their adult lives," former fire chief John Castles told Just The News.

Castles, who led the Bethpage Fire Department on Long Island, New York, talked about the economic pressures of the men and women in his department and others, particularly young people. 

"You need two incomes just to make that $5,000 or $6,000-a-month mortgage payment," he said. "The volunteer fire service is hurting horribly because we rely on young people. It's a young man's job. So it's difficult for them to plan ahead and be a member of the community long term. We lose them after five or six years, and it's pretty much because they want to stay here, but they can't afford houses."

A further issue is a lack of trust – bonds that are created between law enforcement and firefighters with the people in their communities through town sports leagues, churches, schools and town squares. 

Just The News also spoke with Suffolk County Police Benevolence Association Treasurer and police officer, CJ Hutter, who spoke on that issue that often hits smaller towns more acutely. 

"As police officers, we're not out there just riding around on the streets trying to protect everybody, but we're also little league coaches, a lot of us are volunteer firemen," he said. "We're doing everything we can to contribute to our communities. It's vital for communities to be able to have police officers afford to live there."

One potential solution to the crisis involves removing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from their conservatorships, which would return the two mortgage giants to private shareholder control, allowing them to build capital independently and operate with less direct federal oversight.

The shift could strengthen their financial stability over time and encourage greater efficiency and innovation in the housing finance market.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Hutter supports that idea.

"Something like that would be a great avenue to create opportunity for our members," he said. Hutter also said that, especially in his jurisdiction of Suffolk County, luxury homes are being built that cost in the millions – or it's small apartments. 

"It's not necessarily that prototypical starter home like a three-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch on a third of an acre," he continued. "Something like that could really help police officers get into that homeowner's market earlier on in their career."

The U.S. housing crisis is primarily driven by a persistent supply shortage, with estimates of a national deficit of 10 million homes overall, and a specific shortfall of 7.2 million affordable rental units for extremely low-income households.

That imbalance has kept home prices elevated near record highs (around $400,000–$430,000 median), while affordability remains strained despite modest wage growth outpacing slight price gains in 2026. 

As the house price-to-income ratio stays well above historical norms, low inventory, mortgage rates above 6%, and regulatory barriers continue to limit new construction and freeze much of the market. This perfect housing storm has sidelined many first-time buyers and exacerbated challenges for renters and lower-income families.