| Community Economic Development |
For Families to Flourish, So Must Communities
Community economic development is the foundation for
flourishing families, adequate employment opportunities and sustainable services.
Effectively guaranteeing economic development is therefore critical, noted
participants at the Summit workshop on Community Economic Development.
"It’s difficult to have strong families without strong communities,"
noted Texas state Rep. Helen Giddings. Giddings described recent bills in
Texas for linked deposits and child care that provide incentives to stimulate
small business growth in communities. Dawn Mason, a former Washington state
representative (FF ’96), emphasized the need to provide tax credits to small
businesses, eliminate taxes for businesses grossing under $25,000 and to
assist small businesses with business training.
Partnerships between the private sector and the public
significantly boost community development efforts beyond what is possible from
public subsidies alone.
Additionally, federal money is available from the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to work with states
and strengthen communities through programs like the Community
Development Block Grant and the Empowerment Zones/Enterprise
Communities initiative.
