A whistleblower report has sparked new legislation in Olympia aimed at tightening oversight of Washington’s Community Reinvestment Program. The program is facing allegations of misuse of taxpayer funds.
Republican State Representative April Connors of Kennewick has pre-filed House Bill 2153. She says it would stop individuals from stacking multiple taxpayer-funded down payment assistance programs to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars while others are left out:
“I’m calling it ‘Stop the Stack.’ If we are going to give away these state dollars, or at least loan these state dollars, we should be making sure we are helping the most people that we can be helping, not just helping one person get 350 thousand dollars.”
Connors supports down payment assistance programs when they’re used fairly, but warns that unchecked stacking undermines integrity and leaves fewer families able to benefit.
Connors hopes she can draw bipartisan support and a hearing in the House Housing Committee when the Legislature convenes January 12th.
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