Newsletters
| Economic & Community Development
Newsletters
| Economic & Community Development, Featured, Housing, Workforce Development
- Newsletters
- | Economic & Community Development, Featured, Housing, Workforce Development
July 1 is less than five weeks away.
That is the day the submission window opens for governors across the country to begin nominating census tracts for Opportunity Zone (OZ) designation. Those tracts selected in the coming months will influence where private capital flows in historically disinvested communities for the next decade, and it is critical for mayors and local leaders to help guide these designations.
Accelerator for America is proud to release the Opportunity Zone Designation Toolkit for Local Leaders, a practical guide to help mayors, economic and community development practitioners, and local leaders identify and prioritize the census tracts that are most likely to attract investment to address key community needs.
OZs are just one tool. But with over $100 billion in private capital mobilized in the first round, OZs have proven they can move real money into communities. The question for OZ 2.0 is not whether that capital will flow — it will — but whether local leaders are at the table to shape where it goes. Strategic designation of census tracts, paired with complementary local policies and an investment-ready project pipeline, is how cities can maximize the impact of this federal tax incentive to support housing supply and affordability, economic opportunity for residents, industry sector growth, and local fiscal strength.
Developed by Accelerator for America in partnership with Rvesta Consulting and New Localism Associates, the Toolkit includes:
We recognize that not every local leader will have the same capacity to work through every step; the Toolkit is designed to be useful even under tight timelines. We encourage every leader in our network to start with three essential priorities leveraging the guidance in the Toolkit:
The nomination window opens in just under five weeks. Now is the time for local leaders to maximize the impact of Opportunity Zone designations in your communities by engaging state and local leaders in this process.
Throughout 2026, AFA will be releasing additional policy briefs and case studies featuring promising models for aligning local policies, incentives, and market engagement strategies with OZ investment. Please reach out if you’d like to connect with our team on this work.
Support for this toolkit was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. We are grateful for their leadership in advancing healthy communities where all residents can thrive.
Questions or feedback? Contact Anne Bovaird Nevins at anne@acceleratorforamerica.org and A.J. Herrmann at aj@acceleratorforamerica.org.
AFA hosted a webinar to walk through the Opportunity Zone Designation Toolkit and answer questions from local leaders and practitioners. Join us for a practical step‑by‑step session on how to use the toolkit to identify eligible tracts, assess local market conditions, and strengthen your recommendations to state leaders.
