A taxpayer-funded Portland, Oregon, organization is offering extensive down payment assistance for new homebuyers in the state — but they must be non-U.S. citizens, a new report revealed.
Hacienda Community Development Corporation is offering $30,000 to first-time Oregon homebuyers who are DACA recipients, asylum seekers, refugees, green card holders, or otherwise non-citizen, journalism group Oregon Citizen showed with screenshots posted to X:
The money came from the state’s taxpayer-funded Economic Equity Investment Program, which allocated $15 million to a host of several organizations, including $692,775 to Hacienda CDC.
The screenshots, which Oregon Citizen said were from a flier sent to a local educator, showed that Hacienda CDC will be handing out 21 free down payments with that money.
“Clients work closely with financial coaches and HUD-certified housing counselors throughout the entirety of the homebuying process. In addition to mortgage readiness and financial fitness workshops, we provide various opportunities for down-payment assistance,” Hacienda CDC stated.
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Oregon state Rep. Ed Diehl (R) confirmed to the Daily Caller that the group is excluding Americans from their down payment program.
“American citizens in Oregon are struggling to find and buy a home. We have a severe housing shortage in this state. I am appalled that the hard-earned, limited tax dollars of Oregonians are being used to prioritize home ownership for certain non-US citizens. Oregon can’t end this state-sponsored discrimination soon enough,” Diehl said.
Andrew Quinio, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, told the outlet that Hacienda CDC, which self-identifies as “Latino-led,” is possibly partaking in racially discriminatory practices by enforcing a non-citizens-only rule.
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“Oregon cannot treat individuals differently based on race except in very rare exceptions, nor can it have groups do so on its behalf,” Quinio said. “The Legislative Counsel’s analysis raised important questions of whether the EEIP would survive a court challenge, given that its apparent intent and application is to provide assistance to groups that assist only individuals of specific races. The Constitution forbids the government from advantaging or disadvantaging individuals based on race, either directly or indirectly this way.”
While immigrants and refugees can apply for the $30,000 down payment packages, Oregonians are being crushed under the housing market.
“We have the worst affordability,” economist Josh Lehner told Oregon Public Broadcasting in July. “Low vacancies and high prices is indicative of a housing shortage. And I think that’s clearly what we’ve been in for a while now.”
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