Oregonians have reacted angrily to a taxpayer-funded plan that gives illegal immigrants $30,000 to buy homes but excludes U.S. citizens.
Hacienda Community Development Corporation, a Latino-led group in Portland, says in a promotion that it will give first-time homebuyers up to $30,000 to access the housing market.
But there is a problem, the ad adds.
The plan is “only for persons who are not U.S. citizens.”
Instead, it is open to refugees, asylum seekers, green card holders and those who came to the United States illegally as children, the post says.
CDC helps migrant families access property in Oregon, but US citizens are excluded
The Treasury Department’s promotional materials say the $30,000 grants are “only for persons who are not U.S. citizens.”
The revelation comes as uncontrolled migration and border security emerge as major issues in the 2024 presidential election.
Americans are concerned about a record surge in migrants under the Biden administration and about services being overwhelmed by new arrivals seeking aid.
Oregon state Rep. Ed Diehl is among those who said he was “appalled” by the plan, which he said was funded through the state’s tax-funded Economic Equity Investment Program (EEIP).
“American citizens in Oregon are struggling to find and buy a home,” the Republican posted.
“We have a severe housing shortage in this state. I am appalled that Oregonians’ hard-earned tax dollars are being used to prioritize homeownership for certain non-U.S. citizens.”
Hacienda and its chief executive Ernesto Fonseca, who comes from an impoverished part of Mexico, did not respond to The Mail’s requests for comment.
The post was discovered and shared on X earlier this month by a community information group called Citizen of Oregon.
The group says the message was being secretly shared through schools so that immigrant parents of students could find out.
Like much of the United States, buying a home has become a challenge for many Oregonians.
The typical home price rose more than 1 percent to $502,500 this year, but easily tops $1 million in Lake Oswego and other posh ZIP codes.
Zillow ranks Portland, the state’s largest city, among the 10 worst metropolitan areas for housing.
Oregon State Rep. Ed Diehl, a Republican, says he is “appalled” that U.S. citizens do not qualify
Oregon’s median home price rose more than 1 percent to $502,500 this year
Of course, housing is just as expensive for U.S. citizens as it is for foreigners living in Oregon.
But using taxpayer money to help immigrants while excluding citizens was too much for some X users, who responded to the revelations with disbelief.
“This isn’t real, right?” one user posted.
“How is this even remotely possible?” another asked.
Hacienda is funded in part through the EEIP, which was created through the Oregon Economic Equity Investment Act of 2022.
It receives millions of dollars in Oregon state taxes and also federal taxes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The EEIP received $15 million at its launch and was allocated another $8 million this year.
That money is distributed through the Treasury and other groups that provide “culturally sensitive services,” according to Oregon Senate Bill 1579.
The funds are intended to support “economic stability, self-sufficiency, wealth creation, and economic equity among disadvantaged individuals, families, businesses, and communities.”
Hacienda received funding through Business Oregon and EEIP totaling $692,775 this year, Oregon Citizen says.
The group did not respond to our questions about the exclusion of U.S. citizens from its mortgage lending programs.
It was founded in 1992 and aims to provide housing for poor “immigrants and communities of color,” its website says.
Immigration has become a key issue in Oregon, where state Republicans are attempting to repeal some of the state’s sanctuary laws, which protect some immigrants from deportation.
Still, Beaver State voters have nuanced views on immigrants.
A poll conducted by Portland-based DHM Research in April 2023 showed that about half of voters say illegal immigration is a serious problem.
Hacienda CEO Ernesto Fonseca comes from an impoverished part of Mexico and says he wants more immigrants to have access to property.
In some of Oregon’s most upmarket ZIP codes, typical property values already exceed $1 million.
But a majority of voters said at the time they supported Oregon maintaining its sanctuary status, and nearly 60 percent said immigration was positive for the country.
Studies have shown that legal immigrants pay taxes and help grow the U.S. economy. However, other research has shown that illegal immigrants can be a burden on social services.
The Biden administration released the latest border crossing figures last week, showing a 32 percent drop in migrants caught in July, which the feds are calling the “lowest number since September 2020.”
The staggering decline in migrant crossings comes four years after the worst border crisis the United States has ever seen, with record numbers of migrants arriving at the country’s borders seeking entry, including large numbers of asylum seekers.
Since October 2021, more than 10 million migrants have crossed into the United States, according to federal statistics, straining federal agencies that handle migrants and bringing border communities like El Paso, Texas, to their knees.
Since January, the Mexican government has stepped up efforts to stop migrants, mostly South and Central Americans, passing through its country on their way to the United States.
Under pressure from the Biden administration, Mexican officials have set up checkpoints to find migrants on buses and trains heading north and return them to the international border between Mexico and Guatemala.
In June, the White House announced changes to how migrants could apply for asylum at the border.
Any migrant who did not enter the United States legally would be expelled and not allowed to apply for asylum.