As a strategy to combat crime in the Vine City section of Atlanta, the city is moving five police officers into houses in the neighborhood.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that home builder PulteGroup partnered with several Atlanta civic groups to build 2,000-square foot two-story homes with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and features like granite countertops and large closets. The officers will purchase the homes for $145,000 each.
The announcement also comes as Mayor Kasim Reed is trying to encourage builders who receive public funding to set aside affordable housing for police officers, firefighters, teachers and families. As the economy has improved and more people move in the city, skyrocketing housing costs have made living in Georgia’s capitol increasingly unaffordable for some.