Assembly Bill 1840, which has passed in the Assembly and will now head to a floor vote in the state senate, which holds a Democrat majority, will prohibit the state’s California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan program from declining applicants on the basis of immigration status. The state program offers up to 20 percent of a home’s purchase price for down payment or closing costs, and no payments. The loan can be repaid when the home is refinanced, or upon the sale or transfer of the home. California leads the nation, with a median home price at $787,000, requiring an average household income of $200,000 to qualify, nearly triple the median household income needed across the U.S. The state is also facing a severe housing shortage, currently ranking 49th in the U.S. in housing units per resident. While state residents benefit from first-time homebuyer programs, state lawmakers say those benefits should extend to all who live in the Golden State, even those that reside there illegally. “The social and economic benefits of homeownership should be available to everyone. As such, the California Dream for All Program should be available to all,” said the bill’s author Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno). “When undocumented individuals are excluded from such programs, they miss out on a crucial method of securing financial security and personal stability for themselves and their families.” Opponents argue that expanding the program to noncitizens is disrespectful to Americans and lawful residents, and a waste of state resources. “California is in dire financial straits, yet lawmakers continue to prioritize programs that incentivize illegal immigration and strain local resources,” San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond wrote in a post on X. “Expanding state-funded home loans to include illegal immigrants is not just another handout — it's a massive overreach that shifts the financial burden onto law-abiding taxpayers.”The California Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced a bill that will allow illegal aliens to use the state’s zero down payment program for first-time homebuyers.
California is in dire financial straits, yet lawmakers continue to prioritize programs that incentivize illegal immigration and strain local resources. Expanding state-funded home loans to include illegal immigrants is not just another handout — it's a massive overreach that… Prior to the bill’s passage, State Sen. Briah Dahle said, “Assembly Bill 1840 is an insult to California citizens who are being left behind and priced out of homeownership. I'm all for helping first-time homebuyers, but give priority to those who are here in our state legally.”
— Supervisor Jim Desmond (@jim_desmond) August 19, 2024
