Governor Whitmer Offers “Newcomer Rental Subsidy” to Landlords

Newcomer is the new word for illegal aliens. In Biden’s America, there is a new word for everything. 

In Michigan, Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer has gone so far as to name a rent assistance program the Newcomer Rental Subsidy program. It offers landlords $500 for each illegal alien. The program “provides Refugees and other Newcomer population-eligible households with rental assistance up to $500 per month for up to 12 months, with eligibility based on immigration status and household income.”

Program applicants must have eligible immigration status, which includes refugees, asylum-seekers, special immigration visa holders, victims of human trafficking, Cubans, Haitians, Afghan nationals, and Ukrainian humanitarian parolees. That’s a large circle of illegal aliens. The state website describes the reason for such a taxpayer-funded hand-out. 

“Many refugees and other newcomers face critical housing challenges, and this program will increase access to better and more affordable housing opportunities while supporting a more rapid social integration to refugees and other newcomer populations to Michigan.”

Here’s the thing – this isn’t the first time Whitmer has backed such a program. She did it in May 2023. At that time, the subsidy was $300 to $500 a month. It was available for up to a year. 

Amy Hovey, executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, said the program aligns to increase affordable housing across the state for everyone “including those seeking to build a new life here.”

“This program is truly a win-win, as it addresses the most pressing barrier to refugee resettlement by meeting housing needs while setting up families for success with increased employment and opportunity,” Hovey said in a statement.

The two-year program is being funded by the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund with $4 million designated to the Office of Global Michigan.

They also receive financial and budget education. Landlords are paid in three-month installments. 

“Payments will be made in three-month installments; the first payment will be issued upon the application being approved,” the guidance explains. “Additional payments will be made thereafter.”

In 2023, the Refugee Council USA reported that Michigan was ranked 4th with refugees, behind California, Texas, and New York. It looks like it conflates refugees and asylum-seekers among illegal aliens. Those who support immigration and refugees often blur the line between legal and illegal immigrants to lessen the blow of the huge numbers currently seen at the southern border. 

Whitmer faces backlash now because one illegal in the program has been charged with murder. 

Brandon Ortiz-Vite, an illegal immigrant who was deported to Mexico in 2020, was recently charged with felony murder, open murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon, and felony use of a firearm after the body of 25-year-old Ruby Garcia was discovered on U.S. 131 in downtown Grand Rapids earlier this month.

“Rather than focus on border security and safe communities, the Whitmer administration appears to be focused on covering up our state’s population loss by subsidizing housing for not only refugees but anyone who has applied for asylum, over half of which are routinely rejected,” Michigan GOP State Representative Andrew Fink, who recently sponsored a bill that essentially bans sanctuary cities, told Fox News Digital. 

One problem of Biden’s border crisis is that because of the historically high number of illegal aliens apprehended and released into the United States, it is impossible to vet them all properly at the southern border. Border Patrol and other law enforcement are overwhelmed. There is not enough personnel to process them before they are released. Crime is increasing due to the influx of illegal aliens in sanctuary cities and states. Open border advocates pooh-pooh an increase in crime, including violent crime, saying it is only a very small number of illegals who commit crime. Tell that to the families of the murder victims. Joe Biden has blood on his hands.