UNLOCK Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5105
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Housing and Community Development
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-03: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-07T08:05:32Z
AI-Generated Summary
H.R. 5105: Unleashing Needed Local Options to Construct and Keep Housing Act (UNLOCK Act)
Purpose
The legislation amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to permit the use of certain federal community development funds for building new residential housing aimed at low- and moderate-income individuals.
Key Provisions
- Adds a new eligible activity under Section 105(a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305(a)).
- Allows metropolitan cities, urban counties, states, units of general local government, insular areas, or tribal entities that receive funds under Section 106 to use those amounts for constructing new residential housing for low- and moderate-income persons.
- This construction may occur with or without assistance from neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations or other private or public nonprofit organizations.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Previously, Section 105(a) outlined specific eligible activities for community development funds but did not include new residential construction as a standalone option.
- The bill inserts new paragraph (27) after existing paragraphs (25) and (26), expanding the list of permitted uses without altering or removing prior provisions.
Potential Impacts
- Enables qualifying local and state governments to direct federal community development funds toward new housing builds, which could increase the supply of affordable units.
- Affects government agencies by broadening spending flexibility for Community Development Block Grant recipients.
- May benefit citizens through expanded access to new housing options for low- and moderate-income households.
- No direct effects on international relations are specified in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Metropolitan cities, urban counties, states, local governments, insular areas, and tribal entities receiving Section 106 funds.
- Low- and moderate-income persons as intended housing beneficiaries.
- Neighborhood-based and other nonprofit organizations that may partner on construction projects.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Operates within Congress's authority to set conditions on federal spending programs.
- Represents a policy shift to support new construction using existing grant mechanisms, without creating new funding streams or mandates.
- No specific constitutional challenges or political provisions are outlined in the text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16]
Cosponsors (13)
Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1], Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6], Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Timmons, William R. [R-SC-4], Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4], Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3], Rep. Gray, Adam [D-CA-13], Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17]
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-03: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 2025-09-03: Introduced in House
- 2025-09-03: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Unleashing Needed Local Options to Construct and Keep Housing Act — issued 2025-09-03 — PDF (2 pages)