Rooney-Backed Federal Promise Zone Designated in SW Florida

Press Release

Congressman Tom Rooney (FL-17) was proud to announce that the Southwest Florida Promise Zone covering Glades County, Hendry County, and Immokalee (Collier County) has been designated by the Obama Administration. In February, Rooney wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development strongly supporting Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council's application designating this region as a Promise Zone.

A Promise Zone is a high poverty area in select urban, rural and tribal communities in which the Federal government will aggressively work, with local leaders, to boost economic activity and job growth, improve educational opportunities, reduce crime and leverage private investment to improve the quality of life in these vulnerable areas. Monday, the Obama Administration named the final nine Promise Zones across the country in addition to the 13 others that were designated in 2014 and 2015. The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council's zone includes Glades, Hendry and Collier counties.

"The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council is proud to be a part of this collaboration called a Promise Zone," said Don McCormick, Chairman of the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council. "We appreciate Congressman Rooney's letter of support on this issue and our community knows he is always there for us whenever we need help."

"I am very pleased to see the Promise Zone initiative recognize the potential that we have here in Southwest Florida," Rooney said. "I'm hopeful that this partnership will be a positive step towards federal programs and resources developing this area and improving the community as a whole."

Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council's application was selected from 82 applicants from 38 states and Puerto Rico.

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