Editorials and other Opinion content offer perspectives on issues important to our community and are independent from the work of our newsroom reporters.

Could Kansas City help municipal employees purchase their first home? It should. For working-class individuals employed by the city, owning a home means another step toward achieving equity and a long-term commitment to living here, 5th District Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw argues.

When a city invests in its people, we all win, Parks-Shaw contends. She isn’t wrong.

On Wednesday, a resolution introduced by Parks-Shaw passed out of committee with a unanimous vote. The next day, the measure gained the full support of the City Council.

City Manager Brian Platt must identify a plan to assist city employees in the home-buying process, consider its impact on the city’s budget, and identify potential funding sources, according to Parks-Shaw.

We found compelling reasons why Platt should act with urgency to develop a homeownership assistance program for city workers.

Under the city’s own business plan, to measure its impact, potential legislation like this must meet certain objectives, including:

• Increasing the affordable housing stock in the urban core.
• Using an innovative approach to locate funding sources for affordable housing.
• Eliminating regulatory barriers that prevent residents from securing a safe place to live.
• Addressing the needs of the city’s most vulnerable population.

Check, check, check and check. Working-class Americans face eviction and other housing crises on a daily basis, housing advocates say. Wage-earning Kansas City public employees aren’t exempt.

Other cities see the benefit in providing financial assistance to their employees and residents to cover the costs associated with buying a home.

Homeownership is a key to financial freedom. Fees associated with finalizing a home loan aren’t cheap, though. Upwards of tens of thousands of dollars could be hard to come by for some Kansas City municipal workers.

Where will Platt find the money to support a home buying program for city workers? He has 90 days to report back to the council about his intentions, according to the resolution.

Would a combination of general fund revenue and federal dollars suffice? Quite possibly. Funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program, while always competitive to obtain, could be an option, too.

In Alexandria, Virginia, full-time city employees are offered a $10,000 interest-free, deferred payment loan to purchase a home in the city. First-time home-buyers in East Chicago, Indiana, can claim a zero-interest second mortgage of up to $25,000 to help with their down payment. More important, city employees are eligible for an additional $5,000 in assistance. Under terms of the program, the mortgage is forgiven in 10 years if the owner doesn’t sell the home.

Earlier this year, the Dallas City Council committed more than $2 million to assist first-time home-buyers, encouraging those invested in the city to take advantage of the program. There, teachers and first responders are targeted with incentives to become homeowners. Long-term renters are also eligible to apply for assistance.

Why not use these types of perks to entice Kansas City police officers to live within city limits? Law enforcement officers in Kansas City are required only to live within 30 miles of the city. And they can reside in Kansas, too.

Kansas City firefighters must live here within nine months of being hired. We’re sure EMTs and paramedics want the same leeway as police officers. Surely, that fight isn’t over.

Providing low interest loans, forgivable loans or even grants to potential homeowners from the public safety sector would encourage our first responders to reside in the city, as they should.

And the same goes for every other civilian employed by the city. If they meet certain criteria — income guidelines, credit scores and other relevant metrics — why not help them navigate the rough and often costly process of purchasing their first home?