Never Mind: Texas City Nixes Plan to Pay Personal Credit Bills with Public Funds
In an effort to increase the pool of potential homeowners, the city council of Houston was considering paying some personal credit card bills with taxpayer funds.
But a public outcry has persuaded the city’s governing body to remove the proposal from its agenda, reports the Houston Chronicle.
By giving individuals grants of up to $3,000 to pay off their credit cards, the city could have helped them increase their credit scores by a crucial 10 to 20 points. That would have been enough to change a no to a yes for some in a city homebuyer assistance program who can’t qualify for mortgages under current standards.
The proposal was just too controversial, however: “We just can’t give away government money to help people with their credit scores,” said Councilman Mike Sullivan on Monday. “You’re giving them other taxpayers’ money to pay off the bills.”
Updated at 7:45 p.m. to reflect revision in linked Chronicle coverage.
