Oregon's Hacienda CDC Addresses Misinformation on Home Lending Program

In response to recent misinformation circulating in conservative media and social media, Hacienda CDC has issued a statement clarifying the facts about its down payment assistance program. The organization emphasized its commitment to serving all Oregonians equally, regardless of race or ethnicity.

Dr. Ernesto Fonseca, CEO of Hacienda CDC, highlighted that the program, funded through Business Oregon, aims to promote economic equity among disadvantaged communities. Contrary to false claims, the program does not exclude U.S. citizens and requires participants to meet specific criteria, including being Oregon taxpayers with pre-approved mortgages.

A community flyer with incorrect information was identified as the source of the confusion. Dr. Fonseca urged the community to help disseminate the correct information and reaffirmed Hacienda CDC’s mission to support economic advancement and educational opportunities for all.

Below is the full statement published on their official website:

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.

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.

The truth is important, so we are sharing the following facts about the programming in question:

Through a pilot program for 21 homebuyers, Hacienda distributed mortgage down payment assistance funded through Business Oregon. This is part of the Economic Equity Investment Program (Oregon Senate Bill 1579), which aims to build economic stability, self-sufficiency, wealth-building, and economic equity among disadvantaged individuals, families, businesses, and communities in the State. The program does not exclude U.S. citizens.
Participants need 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 governed by State Statute and RGA requirements. These include:

- Experience of discrimination because of race or ethnicity
- English language proficiency
- Citizenship status
- Socioeconomic status
- Residence or operation in a rural location

A community flyer we created through an outside consultant misstated these program requirements.

For 32 years, Hacienda CDC has been advancing the health, livability and progress of all Oregonians, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Our mission is to strengthen families by providing affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement, and educational opportunities, focusing on creating inclusive pathways to success.

We ask our community to help in sharing these facts with others. Thank you for being so supportive as we respond to this false information.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ernesto Fonseca
Chief Executive Officer
Hacienda CDC