Many FBI agents are struggling to make ends meet. Housing costs are to blame

The Empire State Building is lit in pastel colors to mark Easter as it stands between the towers of Hudson Yards in New York City on March 31.The Empire State Building is lit in pastel colors to mark Easter as it stands between the towers of Hudson Yards in New York City on March 31.Many FBI agents based in cities with a high cost of living are struggling to make ends meet, forcing them to make hours-long commutes or double up in apartments, according to bureau and Justice Department officials.

"They're having to juggle being able to afford rent and/or utilities versus being able to actually buy groceries, so it's getting to a level where it's becoming very, very difficult to not only recruit agents into these high cost of living areas, but also retain them in those areas," said Bara, who is a second-generation FBI agent.

in New York, Newark, Honolulu, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Seattle and Washington, D.C. They're asking for $165 million to be included in the Justice Department's 2025 budget to pay for a pilot program. FBI agents have little say in where they are placed once they graduate from the academy. What's more, agents usually come to the bureau as a second career, and they often take a pay cut to start.In New York, for example, starting salaries for FBI agents hover around $73,000. But a nonprofit group in the city reported people need to earn at least $100,000 to afford food, housing and transportation there. That number reaches $150,000 to cover a family of four people.

"We are looking for a more permanent, sustainable solution for all individuals within these high-cost field offices," said Otto, the assistant director.

Source: Real Estate Daily Report (realestatedailyreport.net)

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