Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing & Urban Development joined host Kelly Golden on 94.3 WSC to talk about HUD’S new toolkit to prevent evictions and provide guidance in the wake of COVID-19.
KEY MESSAGES FROM INTERVIEW: The Opportunity Zones incentive, created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was designed to spur economic development and job creation by encouraging long-term investments in low-income communities nationwide. Nearly 35 million Americans live in the more than 8,700 Opportunity Zones across the country.
The pair also discussed a new CRA (Community Reinvestment Act) rule will continue to draw bankers, lenders, and entrepreneurs to communities that are ripe with untapped investment and have grounds that are fertile with economic opportunity.
Underserved and minority communities were hit particularly hard by the pandemic which underscores the need for long-term investments promoted by initiatives and conversations like the ones Sec. Carson is in the Lowcountry now to witness.
In December 2018, President Trump established the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC) with a clear focus: to increase economic opportunity through education, workforce development, and entrepreneurship in these historically neglected communities.