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Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a Democrat-led bill Friday that would’ve allowed illegal migrants living in the state to apply for taxpayer funded home loans.
Newsom vetoed AB 1840, legislation that sought to make illegal migrants eligible for a state program that provides first-time homebuyers with taxpayer-funded home loans, the governor’s office announced. The initiative, known as the California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program, currently provides up to 20% of a house’s purchase price for down payment or closing cost to approved applicants.
The Democrat governor stated Friday that lawmakers essentially were trying to expand eligibility of a program with limited funds.
“This bill seeks to prohibit the disqualification of applicants from one of California Housing Finance Agency’s (CalHFA) home purchase assistance programs based solely on their immigration status,” Newsom said in a statement. “Given the finite funding available for CalHFA programs, expanding program eligibility must be carefully considered within the broader context of the annual state budget to ensure we manage our resources effectively.”
The taxpayer-funded home loans provided by the program 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 around 2,300 middle and lower-income homebuyers — funds ran dry in less than two weeks, according to the Los Angeles Times. California officials have since tightened eligibility for the program, mandating that at least one of the applicants be a first-generation home buyer and replacing the first-come-first-serve model with a lottery.
Despite the program’s lack of critical funds, California Democrats overwhelmingly supported the idea of opening it up to illegal migrants when Assemblymember Joaguin Arambula introduced AB 1840 in January, with lawmakers sailing the bill through the state House and state Senate — and attracting the ire of California Republicans, who are a minority in the state capitol.
“There’s no accountability and transparency when it comes to the Democrats’ spending sprees, and it’s unfortunate because many Californians see homeownership as nothing more than an illusion at this point,” California Sen. Brian Dahle stated to the Daily Caller News Foundation in August after AB 1840 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee.
California Democrats defended the bill, however, with State Sen. Scott Wiener arguing that illegal immigrants who would qualify for the bill are “exactly the kind of people that you want in your community” and Arambula claiming that the “social and economic benefits of homeownership should be available to everyone.”
Upon the news Friday that Newsom vetoed the bill, one California Republican lawmaker said that he was “not surprised” by the move.
“The Democrat party is losing voters, and Newsom has set his sights on the national level,” GOP State Sen. Brian Dahle stated to the DCNF. “It would be career suicide for him to sign AB 1840.”
“We have seniors, veterans, and others who need vital support services, and expanding programs to those who broke federal law only dilutes that assistance and rewards criminal behavior,” Dahle continued.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a Friday statement from State Sen. Brian Dahle.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/ABC7 News Bay Area)
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