Sorry, but no it's not. It might help the individuals, but it will make the overall cost of housing go up. If you increase demand overnight by providing a down payment to those who otherwise wouldn't have one and therefore couldn't buy a house, prices will rise as will mortgage interest rates. If she wants to address housing properly, she needs to work on the supply side first (as she has said she will). But that has to be done first. Purchasing assistance can come later, once there's a good inventory and pricing is good from a buyer's perspective.
