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.
Last August, San Jose gave $1 million to Upwards for its Boost program to help child care centers streamline their operations. A year later, 43% of participating providers have increased their child care slots - and 35% reported an increase in revenue by at least 20%. About one-third of the providers were able to hire an assistant, according to Boost Program Manager Judy Ahumada.