A California bill that would aid undocumented migrants on the path to home ownership has advanced in the state’s legislature.
Democrats on the California Senate Appropriations Committee last week unanimously approved AB 1840, a bill that would amend the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan program by preventing it from denying prospective homeowners based on their immigration status.
The program was launched in 2023 and gives first-time homebuyers in the Golden State a loan of up to 20 percent of the home’s purchase price to be used as a down payment.
The bill will effectively allow migrants to buy homes without having to save for years to fund a down payment, which is almost always required by financial firms providing mortgages.
The loans from the program don’t accrue interest or require monthly payments, and when the main mortgage is refinanced or the house is sold again, the borrower pays back the original amount of the loan plus 20 percent of any increase in value.
The legislation now only needs the approval of the Democrat-supermajority state Senate and a signature from Governor Gavin Newsom to be enacted.
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“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,” bill author and assemblymember Joaquin Arambula said, according to a report in the LA Times.
“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.”
A representative for Joaquin Arambula told Newsweek they do not have comment at this time as the bill continues through the legislative process.
The bill hasn’t been without its critics.
“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 told the Daily Caller. “California is in dire financial straits, yet lawmakers continue to prioritize programs that incentivize illegal immigration and strain local resources.
“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.”
“California’s budget deficit continues to grow and Democratic lawmakers are so out of touch with everyday Californians that they are quite literally taking money away from law-abiding citizens, their own constituents, and handing it over as a free gift to people who broke federal law to cross the border illegally,” Republican Senator Brian Dahle said.
“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.”
According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 1.8 million of California’s more than 39 million residents were undocumented immigrants as of 2022.
