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Assembly committee advances bill reserving home-purchase funds for descendants of enslaved people
Summary
The Assembly Judiciary Committee advanced AB 57, a bill that would reserve at least 10% of California's home purchase assistance funds for descendants of formerly enslaved people; supporters called it targeted reparative policy, opponents called it unconstitutional or a racial preference.
Assemblymember McKinner introduced AB 57 on the Assembly Judiciary Committee floor as a targeted change to California's home-purchase assistance program to reserve part of the funds for "descendants of formerly enslaved people." The author told the committee the measure is a form of reparative policy and said it identifies beneficiaries by legal status rather than race.
The bill's author and supporters said AB 57 would narrow a persistent homeownership gap rooted in historic discrimination. "AB 57 has our overwhelming support as it aims to address historical disparities in home ownership by allocating at least 10% of California's home purchase assistance program funds to applicants who are descendants of a formerly enslaved people," said Tanisha Herring of the California-Hawaii State Conference NAACP, who testified in support.
Supporters argued the change is intended to be race-neutral in form and reparative in effect. The author told the committee the bill "identifies future beneficiaries based on a legal status, not race," and that it would work alongside other legislation establishing processes to identify descendants of enslaved people.
Opponents pressed constitutional and legal objections. Andrew Quino of the Pacific Legal Foundation said the bill "remains unconstitutional because it is still not race neutral" and argued the set-aside is closely intertwined with race. Frank Chu of Californians for Equal Foundation also described the proposal as violating principles of equal treatment.
Assemblymember Zibur moved the bill; members debated its legal vulnerability and the moral case for targeted reparative policy. The committee approved a motion sending AB 57 on to appropriations as amended. The author said she would accept amendments and continue work on legal issues.
Why it matters: Supporters said targeted help for a group harmed by centuries of exclusion addresses persistent wealth disparities and could increase homeownership and neighborhood investment. Opponents said the measure risks constitutional challenge and urged race-neutral alternatives tied to documented injury.
Next steps: AB 57 was passed by the committee as amended and placed on call for the appropriations process.
