An organization is apologizing after reports about its $30,000 homebuyer assistance program indicated that the funds were available only to non-U.S. citizens.
The circulating flyer about the Hacienda Community Development Corporation (HCDC) program sparked outrage on the Varney & Co. Fox Business show for allegedly providing $30,000 in home grants only to non-U.S. citizens living in Oregon.
“A taxpayer-funded group is offering $30,000 to new homebuyers….You cannot apply if you’re an American citizen. What’s with that?” Stuart Varney said on the show.
More From Newsweek Vault: First-Time Homebuyer Guide
The flyer shown in the segment specified that the grant was available only to non-U.S. citizens, including DACA recipients, refugees and green card holders.
“This is state-sponsored discrimination,” Lauren Simonetti, a Fox business news anchor, said on the program. “That’s their goal. They want to open up and the ‘American dream’ to non-U.S. citizens.”
Varney added: “That’s why we have an open border because eventually these folks will vote and vote Democrat because they’re the people that let them in. That’s what this is about.”
More From Newsweek Vault: Should I Buy a House Now or Wait? How to Determine the Right Time to Get a Mortgage
HCDC issued a clarification and apology after the backlash it received online.
“A graphic circulated on social media mistakenly specifies the program is ‘only for people who are not American citizens,'” Ernesto Fonseca, the CEO of Hacienda, told Newsweek. “This was an error made by a social media consultant, and it is not true. It should have been caught before being released. The EEI Program is for every Oregonian, and Hacienda apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.”
More From Newsweek Vault: Find the Lowest Rates From Top Mortgage Lenders
The Latino-led organization based in Oregon receives funds for mortgage down payment assistance from Oregon SB 1579, the Economic Equity Investment Act, to “build economic stability, self-sufficiency, wealth-building opportunities and economic equity among disadvantaged individuals, families, businesses, and communities in the state,” Fonseca said.
The nonprofit said the down payment money was available to 21 homebuyers through a pilot program funded through the Oregon Department of Economic Development.
Participants had to be Oregon taxpayers with a mortgage pre-approved by a bank or credit union and meet two out of five risk factors outlined by the program, according to Fonseca.
The risk factors include experiencing discrimination because of race or ethnicity, English language proficiency, citizenship status, socioeconomic status and residence in a rural location.
A home stands for sale in The Dalles, Oregon. A nonprofit in Oregon received backlash for incorrect reports that it offers a homebuying grant only to non-U.S. citizens.
Craig Mitchelldyer/Getty Images
When the first reports emerged of Hacienda’s homebuyer assistance program only benefiting non-citizens, many criticized it on social media.
“My young adult children who are saving and struggling and feeling like they will never be able to buy their own homes, would really appreciate this. I’m so angry I can’t see straight,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
In Oregon, the median sale price of a home is $519,900, according to data from Redfin. The current housing market across the country has left many Americans unable to afford a home because of high list prices and high interest rates.
Hacienda issued a public statement on its website to clarify the claims that circulated about the program.
“Over the past few days, false information about Hacienda CDC and one of our downpayment assistance programs has rapidly circulated in conservative media, tabloid websites, and social media,” the statement says.
“At the root of this are untrue claims about the people Hacienda serves. To be clear, we do not discriminate against anyone and serve all Oregonians equally.”
Correction: A previous version of this article said Varney & Co was a Fox News program, instead of a Fox Business program.
Source : Newsweek