San Francisco mayoral candidate and District 11 supervisor Ahsha Safaà is proposing to forgive $25,000 of student loan debt for certain first responders to help address staffing concerns.
Safaà plans to establish a $1 million fund to forgive up to $25,000 in student loan debt for newly hired first responders after a three-year service period, aiming to attract and retain police officers, nurses, and 911 dispatchers for the city.
The fund will cover existing student debt and costs not eligible for reimbursement incurred during education and training before joining the city.
Safaà will present the proposal at the upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting for approval, with voting expected to take place in the summer.
The funding for this initiative will come from philanthropy and potential cost savings within the police department budget, as mentioned by Safaà to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Addressing the critical need for more first responders, Safaà emphasized the importance of offering support to those in debt and recognizing the sacrifices made by individuals joining the city.
After speaking with various first responders, Safaà highlighted the need for incentives and support to attract individuals to these demanding roles, emphasizing the value of employee well-being and word-of-mouth recruitment.
As the mayoral race unfolds, addressing staffing issues remains a key focus, with SafaÃ, incumbent London Breed, Mark Farrell, Daniel Lurie, and Aaron Peskin among the candidates.
Other candidates, such as Lurie and Peskin, have also proposed solutions to the staffing problem, with Peskin suggesting a fund to forgive up to $100,000 in student loans for new officers over five years.
Peskin is open to collaborating with Safaà on their proposals, recognizing the importance of detail in addressing the city’s staffing challenges.