Photo: San Jose Spotlight
U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., who represents large portions of Santa Clara County in Congress, along with Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., introduced a new bill this month aimed at making it easier for cities to use federal money to build affordable housing.
Inspired by Mountain View, the Unleashing Needed Local Options to Construct and Keep Housing (UNLOCK) Act would loosen restrictions on how municipalities spend Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
“When Mountain View shared their idea, I jumped at the chance to bring this idea to fruition in Congress,” Liccardo said — referring to the city in his district that recommended expanding CDBG flexibility. “As Mayor of San Jose, I saw firsthand how cities are forced to face the brunt of the housing crisis without the federal money to match the magnitude. Easing restrictions on municipalities’ use of CDBG funds will help us meet our communities’ growing needs faster.”
See Representative Liccardo’s full press release here.