ARLINGTON, Va.—An executive order signed this week by the Trump Administration will establish a White House Revitalization Council that will be comprised of 13 federal agencies, including the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Justice Department, Energy Department, Small Business Administration, and others.
The council will also create a partnership of private- and public-sector entities committed to “lifting up rural, urban and distressed communities.” According to the White House, these communities span all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, allowing the Council to help streamline, coordinate and target prospects that could benefit from existing federal programs aimed at communities that need help the most.
HUD Secretary Ben Carson will be the new Council’s chairman.
Prior to the order’s signing, NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel Carrie Hunt, and Regulatory Affairs Counsel Kaley Schafer participated in a White House-organized event aimed at discussing new efforts to revitalize communities across the nation through “Opportunity Zones.”