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VERIFY | No, as president, Kamala Harris would not have power to give all first-time homebuyers a $25k grant for down payment

Whatever legislation she comes up with would have to go through Congress first.

SAN ANTONIO — As we march closer to election day more and more political ads, speeches and rallies swarm our senses with candidates making many promises. But any of those promises come with a lot of confusion. 

While they are courting Americans for votes, both former President Trump and Vice President Harris have made many claims about what they'd do in office.

THE QUESTION

That leads us to tonight's claim submitted by viewer Mike Mendiola..."Is it true, that if elected, Kamala Harris will give all first time homebuyers a $25,000 down payment grant?"

THE SOURCES

  • Patrick Jones, a community organizer who works with marginalized communities
  • Daniel Cabrera with Sell My House Fast in San Antonio.


THE ANSWER

FALSE

WHAT WE FOUND

The Harriz-Walz campaign says in order to get the grant you must have paid rent on time for at least two years, never owned a home or owned a mobile home without a foundation. But it would take time for the legislation to pass, and isn't guaranteed. 

"She'll have to get it through Congress regardless. But I don't want there to be a false hope of we're in reality and it still needs to get passed through Congress before it could go into effect," Cabrera said.   

Jones says first time generational buyers would be eligible for the grant as well as additional credits. 

"A first generational buyer would be somebody whose parents never owned a home or parents whose parents were perpetually renters. So we're talking about the first person within a family tree or the family lineage to have ever been granted the opportunity to buy a house," Jones said.  

So in this case, it's false as president Kamala Harris would not have the power to give all first-time homebuyers a 25-thousand dollar grant for a down payment.

Jones also told us if your spouse owned a home but you were not involved in the purchase, you could be eligible for the grant too, if Harris wins the election, and if it were to pass Congress. 

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