Empowerment Zones (EZs) originated from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) initiative to address high unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, minimal access to business capital, and poverty in inner cities and distressed rural areas across America. The first six of the current 30 Urban Empowerment Zones were designated in 1994. On January 13, 1999, Vice President Al Gore named 15 economically distressed communities as Round II Empowerment Zones, making them eligible to share in $3.8 billion in proposed federal grants and tax-exempt bonding authority.

The Round II designation offers additional potential to link communities to their broader regional economies. Round II Zones were able to designate up to 2,000 acres of underutilized “developable site” properties outside the formal Zone area that can receive Zone benefits and be used for job creation for Zone residents. Of the 279 communities who competed for the designation, 15 urban centers were awarded the Round II Empowerment Zone Designation.

The New Haven EZ includes parts of six New Haven neighborhoods – Dixwell, Dwight, Fair Haven, Hill, Newhallville, and West Rock. Along with developable sites located downtown, Long Wharf and West Haven’s West River Crossing.

Other Round II Empowerment Zone Designations include:

Boston, Massachusetts
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbia/Sumter, South Carolina
Columbus, Ohio
Cumberland County, New Jersey
El Paso, Texas
Gary/East Chicago, Illinois
Huntington, West Virginia/Ironton, Ohio
Knoxville, Tennessee
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Norfolk/Portsmouth, Virginia
Santa Ana, California
St. Louis, Missouri/East St. Louis, Illinois