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Washington, DC -- U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro today said New Haven's selection as one of 15 Empowerment Zones was good news for the community and the state of Connecticut.
"I am very proud that the city of New Haven has been named an empowerment zone," said Senator Lieberman. "This could be an historic turning point for New Haven. Their application was about economic and human renewal and now the federal government will back their proposal to bring jobs back to New Haven." Lieberman was one of the original sponsors of the 1993 legislation which created Empowerment Zones.
"This designation provides the necessary ingredients to create a strong economic future for New Haven," Dodd said. "It gives New Haven critically important resources to continue the outstanding efforts already underway to rejuvenate neighborhoods and create jobs and economic development."
"Designation as an Empowerment Zone is a significant step forward for New Haven's economic development," said Congresswoman DeLauro. A great deal of work has been invested in revitalizing our city, and by achieving status as an Empowerment Zone, we substantially improve our prospects for long-term growth. I could not be happier with the outcome."
Empowerment Zones were established to revitalize distressed areas of communities by offering a combination of federal tax breaks and grants to attract businesses to the area. Some cities have been able to use the Empowerment Zones to enhance community investment with job training, improved health care and education. More than one hundred communities applied for the 20 Empowerment Zones expected to be announced today. The zones will be awarded to 15 urban areas and 5 rural areas.
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