I've been involved in federal housing policy for more than 50 years, beginning my career at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the 1970s and later serving on the staff of the U.S. House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs now the Financial Services Committee from 1983 to 2000. Over that time, I've watched the federal government's role in housing shift dramatically from builder to partner to convener.
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.