The California bill that seeks to help illegal immigrants buy houses has reached the desk of California Governor Gavin Newsom after getting passed by the state legislature.
The California legislature is heavily dominated by liberal lawmakers who passed the proposal by 45-15 in the state assembly and 25-14 in the Senate, although some Democrats also crossed the partisan lines to oppose the legislation with Republicans.
If approved, the bill will provide up to $150,000 of low-interest loans to specific undocumented immigrants wanting to buy their homes. Under the newly introduced program, illegal immigrants with tax IDs and social security numbers will be eligible to apply for home loans. They will essentially become eligible to enjoy the perks that the California Housing Finance Agency gives to normal homebuyers. The biggest benefit of this program is that they will be able to apply for California Dream for All assistance, which provides easy loans of up to $150,000 to first-time homebuyers for a 20% down payment of the property.
The beneficiaries will only have to pay for 15% to 20% interest if their home valuation increases at the time of selling.
The timing of the bill, which comes almost nine weeks before the presidential elections, has made it even more interesting, particularly when illegal immigration has become a major voting issue. With almost 87% of voters viewing the current situation at the Southern border as a problem, even Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, who has largely avoided speaking against the US open borders, is now running ads in favor of strict border control and lobbying for bills that would introduce border measures she has always opposed.
Joaquin Arambula, a Democratic lawmaker who authored the bill, said that this legislation is neither about immigration nor about housing but is only a matter of fairness. Arambula said that people “paying into a system” should get the same benefits as everyone else.
Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers slammed the bill and emphasized the conditions of military veterans and general Americans who are struggling to get their own homes. Former US Congressman George Radanovich, who is running for a state assembly seat this year, branded the bill as “beyond irresponsible.”
California state senator Brian Dahle also lashed out at the measure and suggested that a lot of Californians who are not illegal immigrants and struggle for housing should get the first priority from the government, adding that this proposal will have significant implications for the state budget.
On the other hand, liberal state Senator Dave Min argued that illegal immigrants are being used as a “political football,” and that they should get equal benefits if they are paying taxes.
Newsom has almost one month to sign the bill and he has yet to reveal his standing on the issue.
