Today, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) announced a $119,000 investment to support Opportunity Zones (OZ) in rural communities across the Acadiana region in Louisiana. The Acadiana Planning Commission (APC), a regional development organization located in south Louisiana, will build upon their regional investment prospectus and use DRA funds to create community-specific prospectuses for seven rural communities in their footprint. Additionally, APC will collaborate with local partners to develop an interactive website to promote the region’s OZ areas and serve as a clearinghouse for prospective business and real estate projects.
“As a member of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, I am pleased to support Acadiana Planning Commission’s new initiative to support Opportunity Zones in south Louisiana,” said DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Caldwell. “DRA’s investment will help the Delta region attract qualified fund managers and unlock private capital that will stimulate economic development and promote sustainable growth in underserved communities.”
“Our rural communities are among the most important in our state and this project will stimulate investments in more than a dozen of the designated Opportunity Zones in the Acadiana region,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Diversification and revitalization are important in helping to achieve strong economic growth. In addition, this regional approach will enable each community to showcase its uniqueness and viability. I greatly appreciate our partnerships with the DRA and the Acadiana Planning Commission as well as their commitment to strengthening Louisiana’s rural communities.”
Funding for this project was provided by the States’ Economic Development Assistance Program, DRA’s flagship grant program that makes strategic investments into projects supporting basic public infrastructure, transportation improvements, workforce training and education, and business development with an emphasis on entrepreneurship.
About the Delta Regional Authority
Established in 2000 by Congress, the Delta Regional Authority makes strategic investments of federal appropriations into the physical and human infrastructure of Delta communities. Led by the Delta Regional Authority Board-comprised of the Federal Co-Chairman, appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and the governors of the eight states-the Delta Regional Authority fosters local and regional partnerships that address economic and social challenges to ultimately strengthen the Delta economy and the quality of life for Delta residents. The Delta Regional Authority works to improve regional economic opportunity by helping to create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of the 10 million people who reside in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state Delta region.
