WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16) introduced the Unleashing Needed Local Options to Construct and Keep Housing (UNLOCK) Act with the Republican Chair of the House Subcommittee on Housing, Mike Flood (NE-01). The bipartisan bill will reduce hurdles for cities and local governments using federal funds to build affordable housing.

The bill was generated after Subcommittee Chairman Flood and Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver opened a request for information and requested local governments submit ideas on how to better address the nation's housing crisis by cutting red tape in federal housing programs. Mountain View, the second largest city in Liccardo's district, shared recommendations to improve the flexibility of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

"When Mountain View shared their idea, I jumped at the chance to bring this idea to fruition in Congress," said Liccardo. "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."

"The bipartisan UNLOCK Act will boost the nation's affordable housing supply, helping more low-income families, special needs households, and older adults stay in our communities and thrive. Having earned California's Prohousing designation, Mountain View is committed to addressing the state's housing crisis," said Mayor Ellen Kamei. "Thank you to Congressman Liccardo for his leadership and understanding of the experience of cities such as Mountain View with funding barriers that have impeded affordable housing production."

"Mountain View has a robust pipeline of five affordable housing projects that could benefit from the UNLOCK Act, with developers continuing to discuss potential new projects with the City," said City of Mountain View Housing Director Wayne Chen. "Right now, there is unprecedented demand for affordable housing financing, and every funding source counts. Expanding how CDBG funds can be used will help accelerate new affordable housing production in Mountain View and across the United States."

"The CDBG program has long been an important tool for Nebraska cities to fund important local projects," said Flood. "This targeted legislation would give communities across the state the flexibility to use CDBG dollars to directly address housing supply needs. I want to thank Congressman Liccardo for his work on this important bill."

The legislation has been endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA), National Association of Counties (NACO), National League of Cities, National Community Development Association (NCDA), and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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