California Proposal to Give Home Loans to Illegal Aliens Comes Under Fire; California Lawmakers Ripped After Approving $150K Down Payment ‘handout’ to Illegal Immigrant Home Buyers: ‘This is crazy’

California Proposal to Give Home Loans to Illegal Aliens Comes Under Fire:

California lawmakers are one step closer to making hundreds of millions of taxpayer-funded home loans available to residents living in the country illegally.

Democrats on the California Senate Appropriations Committee late last week unanimously approved AB 1840 to move forward, according to an official vote tally for the legislation. The bill has one last chance to be struck down on the floor of the state Senate, where Democrats wield majority power, before it lands on the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat.

The legislation seeks to amend the California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program, an initiative launched last year that provides first-time homebuyers with a loan of up to 20% of the house’s purchase price for down payment or closing cost. If passed and signed into law, illegal migrants living in California would be eligible to apply for a piece of the pie.

“Once again, California has chosen to prioritize illegal immigration and fiscal irresponsibility over the needs of its citizens, all while facing a $60 billion deficit that will ultimately be passed onto taxpayers,” San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“California is in dire financial straits, yet lawmakers continue to prioritize programs that incentivize illegal immigration and strain local resources,” Desmond said. “Expanding this program to include illegal immigrants is not just another handout—it’s a massive overreach that shifts the financial burden onto law-abiding taxpayers.”

These taxpayer-funded home loans are interest-free and borrowers are not required to dole out monthly payments, making the program incredibly popular with California residents.

When applications for the $300 million program first opened up in May 2023—offering interest-free loans to roughly 2,300 middle- and lower-income homebuyers—the money ran out in less than two weeks, according to the Los Angeles Times. State officials have since tightened eligibility for the program, requiring that at least one of the applicants be a first-generation homebuyer and replacing the first-come-first-serve model with a lottery.

Despite California’s struggling to cope with a budget deficit in the tens of billions of dollars, and availability for the program incredibly tight already, one state lawmaker said he felt the loan program wasn’t inclusive enough.

Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, a Democrat from Fresno, first introduced AB 1840 in January, with the goal of broadening the definition of “first-time home buyer” to include illegal immigrants. The lawmaker argued in March that the “social and economic benefits of homeownership should be available to everyone,” according to KTLA-TV in Los Angeles. Arambula did not immediately respond to a request for comment. —>READ MORE HERE

California lawmakers ripped after approving $150K down payment ‘handout’ to illegal immigrant home buyers: ‘This is crazy’:

The Democrat-controlled California Legislature has passed a polarizing bill that would make the Golden State the first in the nation to offer down payment assistance to illegal immigrant home buyers.

Assembly Bill 1840, which was approved Wednesday, would grant undocumented immigrants access to the state’s taxpayer-funded home loan program, which provides up to $150,000 in down payment assistance for eligible first-time home buyers.

The legislation easily cleared the state Senate on Tuesday 25-14 and was subsequently approved by the Assembly 45-15. Democrats enjoy supermajorities in both chambers.

It now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for final approval.

California Republicans are urging Newsom to veto the measure, arguing that it is a “handout” and a “betrayal” of citizens of the state that will incentivize illegal immigration.

“I didn’t know it was possible to make the border crisis and the housing crisis worse with just one vote, but Democrats found a way,” California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) said in a statement.

“Giving taxpayer-funded housing subsidies to illegal immigrants will drive costs even higher and encourage more chaos at the border,” he added. “This is crazy and it needs to stop.”

Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita), who is the granddaughter of legal immigrants, expressed similarly strong opposition to the measure on the Assembly floor Wednesday.

Sanchez argued that migrants crossing the border illegally “look to California’s current policies like a giant Welcome sign.”

“Welcome to California, where illegal immigrants get free health care, free food, and now a free home with 0% down,” she said. “This is not rocket science. If you’re giving out free stuff, more people are going to come.” —>READ MORE HERE

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