Opportunity Zones provide three benefits with respect to local community and economic development.
They offer an ability to act as a convening agent for a diverse array of stakeholders in thinking about community-level investments.
Opportunity Zones additionally provide a tax incentive for capital gains.
They also provide preferential consideration in federal grants, loans, and technical assistance programs.
In this talk, head of the Economic Innovation Group, John Lettieri, talks about the "forgotten zip codes" across America, and how Opportunity Zones can allow them to thrive. John's career in public policy has included time in both the public and private sectors working with a diverse set of policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and global business leaders.
Communities have seen all three of these benefits leveraged in a variety of ways to support a multitude of projects, from affordable housing and healthcare to small business development and renewable energy.
For communities to achieve the maximum benefit from the Opportunity Zone program, states and investors must be committed to the original intent of Opportunity Zones and endeavor to support impactful projects that incorporate community input and align with social impact goals.
Michael Saunders is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com. He edits a site on Community Foundations that highlights the Social Progress Index for Counties around the country and Opportunity Zones within these foundations' areas of coverage.
Additional Government Grants Resources
Construction Incentive Program for First Time Home Buyers in New York Under the State of New York Mortgage Agency, the Construction Incentive Program has been established. The goal of this program is to enable the construction of one and two family homes through the provision of funds, up to 97% of the value of the property, to eligible low to moderate income first time home buyers. National Science Foundation: Ocean Acidification The Ocean Acidification Program is geared towards the acquisition of a better understanding of the potentially adverse effects of slowly acidifying oceans. Grants From The Department of Labor The Department of Labor was primarily created to nurture, promote and develop the welfare of job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States of America, as well as to improve the country's working conditions, advance employment opportunities and ascertain work-related rights and benefits. Small Business Administration Background The Small Business Administration was established in 1953. Since that time the agency has dispensed millions of dollars in loans and loan guarantees, contracts, consulting assistance and other programs for small business across the United States. Small Business Administration's Loan Guarantees Program The Small Business Administration has established the Loan Guarantees Program wherein they aim to be able to provide guaranteed loans to small business establishments which are not capable of acquiring financing from a private credit marketplace but greatly manifests the ability to repay funds in a timely manner. National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program NIFA has recently constituted the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) wherein they plan to administer grants amounting to $5,000,000 to be utilized in funding the project. Down Payment Assistance Loan for First Time Home Buyers in New York In line with this, The State of New York Mortgage Agency has been running the Down Payment Assistance Loan Program (DPAL) wherein it intends to help first time home buyers overcome the setbacks brought about by down payments and closing costs.
The Republic of Rwanda has been picked as one of the six African countries as beneficiaries for a new fellowship fund program designed at supporting social entrepreneurs in tackling issues on food security.