U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed a $25,000 house down fee to help immigrants, together with those that are undocumented.
Certainly one of Harris’ marketing campaign guarantees was a program wherein first-time homebuyers would obtain $25,000 in the direction of a down fee. This system added additional assist for first-generation homebuyers — individuals whose dad and mom didn’t personal a house. Nonetheless …
Based mostly on current housing assist applications, it was not going that undocumented immigrants would profit from it, as they’re barred from present help applications.
The Harris marketing campaign had not expounded on all eligibility standards, and it’s unclear whether or not different particulars of the proposal would resemble these of current plans.
Because the 2024 election approached, web customers shared claims that Democratic candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris had proposed a plan to present $25,000 in down fee assist for first-time homebuyers that might benefit only immigrants (archived):
(Fb/Galton Terrel)
Kamala gonna give $25k down fee to “first-generation,” i.e. immigrants, not us, to purchase houses
A number of Snopes readers additionally shared variations of this declare with us that mentioned this proposal was designed “completely” for undocumented immigrants:
The wonderful print for Harris’s $25K for first time house consumers; in case your mom, father, brother, sister has ever owned a house, you’re NOT eligible… just about a program completely for illegals, and YOU’RE going to pay for it.
Whereas it’s true that this proposal for first-time homebuyers is one among Harris’ marketing campaign guarantees, it expands on an current plan. Additional, primarily based on present housing laws, it was unlikely that undocumented immigrants would profit from it. As such, we have rated the declare as a combination of true and false statements.
The Harris Plan
On Aug. 16, 2024, Harris introduced in a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina, a plan to assist potential homebuyers:
We additionally know that as the worth of housing has gone up, the dimensions of down funds have gone up as properly. Even when aspiring householders save for years, it typically nonetheless is just not sufficient.
So, as well as, whereas we work on the housing scarcity, my administration will present first-time homebuyers with $25,000 to assist with the down fee on a brand new house.
We are able to do that. We are able to do that, all to assist extra People expertise the pleasure of homeownership and the monetary safety that it represents and brings.
Her marketing campaign website confirmed her promise (emphasis ours):
As extra new houses are constructed and reasonably priced housing provide will increase, Vice President Harris will present first-time homebuyers with as much as $25,000 to assist with their down funds, with extra beneficiant assist for first-generation householders. This may assist extra People expertise the pleasure of homeownership and the monetary safety that it represents and brings — providing extra People a path to the center class and financial alternative.
In a statement launched the identical day Harris introduced the proposal, the marketing campaign elaborated (emphasis ours):
The Biden-Harris administration initially proposed offering $25,000 in downpayment help just for 400,000 first-generation house consumers—or homebuyers whose dad and mom do not personal a house—and a $10,000 tax credit score for first-time house consumers. Vice President Harris’s plan will simplify and considerably develop that plan by offering on common $25,000 for all eligible first-time house consumers, whereas making certain full participation by first-generation house consumers. It’ll develop the attain of down-payment help, permitting over 4 million first time-buyers over 4 years to get vital down fee help.
The identical assertion didn’t outline eligibility, moreover saying that potential homebuyers should have paid lease on time for at the least two years to profit from this program.
The Biden Plan
Because the Harris marketing campaign acknowledged, her proposal intently resembles an current proposal. In March 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden revealed an idea to help “decrease housing prices for working households.” The plan would offer down fee help of $25,000 for first-time, first-generation homebuyers — that’s, homebuyers whose dad and mom didn’t personal their house — thereby serving to an estimated 400,000 households. Additional, Biden’s proposal would supply a one-year tax credit score of $10,000 for all different first-time shopping for households.
This concept turned the idea for the Downpayment Toward Equity Act, which goals to supply down fee help “for certified homebuyers who’re socially and economically deprived.” The invoice, which was launched within the Senate in March 2024 and was nonetheless below evaluation as of this writing, would offer for a maximum grant of $20,000 or 10% of the acquisition worth.
In line with the invoice, a “certified homebuyer” was a first-time, first-generation purchaser (particular person or family) whose earnings didn’t exceed 120% of the median earnings of the realm the place they lived or meant to purchase, or 140% in high-cost areas. In flip, the grant would solely apply to locations the place the consumers would reside, versus secondary houses or
Apart from extending the $25,000 down fee grant to all first-time homebuyers, the Harris marketing campaign had not supplied extra particulars as to how a homebuyer would qualify. We reached out for extra particulars and can replace this report if the marketing campaign responds.
Nonetheless, primarily based on current housing assist laws, nothing indicated that the proposal would apply to
Additional, historic down-payment help applications had additionally explicitly barred undocumented immigrants from protection. This included the Financial Stimulus Act of 2008. “The stimulus act particularly denies the credit score to nonresident immigrants,” NBC Information reported in 2009.
