A bill passed by the California state legislature on Wednesday that would make some illegal immigrants in California eligible for generous cash assistance to buy homes has been sent to the desk for consideration of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to Politico.
Under AB 1840, illegal immigrants with social security or taxpayer-identification numbers would qualify for a program called California Dream for All that gives first-time home buyers up to $150,000, with recipients only having to pay interest if they sell the property, Politico reported. Newsom has declined to comment on whether or not he will sign the bill after some moderate Democrats joined Republicans in the California Senate in an attempt to block the legislation.
California Democratic State Sen. Scott Wiener said on Tuesday that illegal immigrants who would qualify for assistance under the law are “exactly the kind of people that you want in your community,” according to a California Senate transcript.
“These are people who are working and paying taxes, and yes, they should be able to buy a home,” Wiener said. “They should be part of this program.”
Republican opponents of the legislation, however, have argued that the state’s limited resources should go to American citizens who need assistance, Politico reported.
“We have Californians who are not undocumented immigrants, who need these services,” Republican State Sen. Brian Dahle said on Tuesday, according to the California Senate transcript. “We should take care of them first, before we expand it out.”
Providing housing subsidies without substantially increasing the supply of homes could raise prices for everyone else, economists told ABC News.
Newsom pledged to address the housing shortage in his state while campaigning in 2017 by building 3.5 million new homes by 2035, however, between the California governor taking office in 2019 and the beginning of 2024, the state has increased its net housing supply by just around 600,000 units.
“If they have $25,000 more to spend on a house, they’ll submit bids up to $25,000 higher for the home,” University of Cincinnati economics professor Michael Jones told ABC News, speaking about a policy proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris that would provide a cash subsidy to first-time home buyers. “That policy in particular is a bad idea because it won’t bring the price of housing down.”
Newsom has shown a willingness to veto some legislation passed by Democratic lawmakers in his state, vetoing a bill in September 2023 that would have required judges to weigh a parent’s affirmation of a child’s gender identity in custody disputes, the AP reported. He also vetoed bills that would have allowed cannabis vendors to sell food and decriminalized psychedelic drugs, according to Governing.
Newsom has until September 30 to sign or veto the bill, according to the AP.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office told the Daily Caller News Foundation that it “does not typically comment on pending legislation.”
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