Opportunity Zones: Economic Development and Community Revitalization – Hosted by HUD

Opportunity Zones (“OZ”) are economically distressed communities that are in designated census tracts.  The OZ incentives, established in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“OZ 2017”), have been updated and made permanent through the next phase of OZ under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act that became law in 2025 under President Trump (“OZ 2025”).  OZ tax incentives provide a tremendous way to bring investments, jobs, business expansion, and business development to a community.  The OZ initiative is not a top-down government program from Washington but an incentive to spur private and public investment in America’s underserved communities.

This landmark policy, among other things, has incentivized over $112 billion of private investment into OZ, making it the largest economic development program in US history.  It has lifted more than one million Americans out of poverty, spurred the creation of more than half a million jobs, and resulted in the addition of more than 400,000 housing units.  OZ 2025 is expected to support billions in investments, create millions of new jobs, and facilitate construction of hundreds of thousands of new homes and community and economic development projects.

The conference is designed to encourage the faith and business communities to participate in economic and community development within OZ and to discuss the importance of faith-based organizations in family formation and community revitalization, especially in these distressed communities. This conference will feature panels covering such topics as listed below.

1. Opportunity Zones: Providing Business Opportunities and Meeting Community Needs
2. Faith in Action in Opportunity Zones
3. Funding Projects in Opportunity Zones
4. Attainable Housing Options in Opportunity Zones
5. Federal Resources: The Centers for Faith

To register, click HERE.  Please register by September 11, 2026.