Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Senate committee backs targeted home-purchase assistance for descendants of enslaved people
Loading...
Summary
The Housing Committee approved AB 57, a bill to reserve a portion of state home purchase assistance funds for descendants of formerly enslaved people, after debate over eligibility definitions and legal questions.
The California State Senate Housing Committee voted to advance AB 57, a measure that would reserve at least 10% of funding in the state's home purchase assistance program for applicants identified as descendants of formerly enslaved people.
Assemblymember McKinner, the bill's author, framed AB 57 as a targeted reparative measure to address historic and systemic barriers — including redlining and discriminatory lending — that have reduced homeownership for descendants of enslaved people. "AB 57 seeks to address historic and systematic inequities in home ownership by reserving a portion of funding within California's home purchase assistance program specifically for descendants of formerly enslaved people," the author said.
Tanisha Herring of the California-Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP testified in support and described the bill's allocation: "AB 57 has our overwhelming support as it aims to address historical disparities in homeownership by allocating at least 10% of California's home purchase assistance program funds to applicants who are descendants of formerly enslaved people."
Committee members raised questions about eligibility mechanics and potential legal issues. Senator Ochoa Bog asked how the measure would work in practice and whether eligibility determination could violate nondiscrimination law; the author and witnesses noted an expectation that separate legislation and agency processes under consideration would create a legal mechanism for identifying eligible descendants. Senator Cabaldon and others noted the bill is contingent on an eligibility process that other pending measures are expected to address.
Despite those concerns, committee members voted to advance the bill. The transcript and clerk statements recorded the measure as reported out with a 7-2 vote.
Supporters at the hearing included civil rights and housing organizations such as the NAACP, California YIMBY, All Home, the California Teachers Association, California Faculty Association and the Greater Sacramento Urban League. Opponents were not listed as lead witnesses in the transcript; one letter of opposition from a foundation was mentioned during discussion.
