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On December 21, 1994, President Bill Clinton designated nine communities across the United States as Empowerment Zones (EZs). Each community receives seed money and assistance for approximately ten years in an effort to transform the area into a viable, sustainable economic region. This initiative was expanded in January 1999 and again in December 2001 to include a total of 30 urban and 10 rural communities. The lead implementing agencies are Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the urban part of the initiative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the rural portion of the program. Since 1994, the government has committed to providing over $1 billion in seed money and tax incentives from a combination of Social Service Block Grants, Health and Human Services and HUD funding sources. The EZs have leveraged more than $12 billion in public and private partnerships. The initiative and the partnerships have generated jobs, as well as trained and educated youth and families in these neighborhoods. To see a listing of all the Empowerment Zones: http://www5.hud.gov/urban/tour/statestour.asp To determine if your street address is located in an empowerment zone call the toll free number at Community Connections 800-998-9999. For more information on the Empowerment Zone initiative: call 800-998-9999. |
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