Obama Administration Names Camden, New Jersey a Promise Zone

Camden City Hall Skyline.

The Obama Administration announced on April 28 that Camden, New Jersey will be one of eight additional Promise Zones across the country; it is one of six cities to receive the distinction. Through the Promise Zone designation, these communities will work directly with federal, state and local agencies to give local leaders proven tools to improve the quality of life in some of the country's most vulnerable areas. "Promise Zones bring multiple federal agencies together with local leaders to breathe new life into underserved neighborhoods," said HUD Secretary Castro. "A zip code should never limit the opportunities and hopes parents have for their children. Helping these communities build stronger neighborhoods will help unlock those doors that have been closed for far too long."

Across the country, work underway in Promise Zone communities is already showing results. For example: High school graduation rates in the San Antonio Promise Zone grew from a low of 45 percent to over 80 percent; 2,000 kids in Los Angeles found a summer job through a youth employment initiative; 900 unemployed people in Southeastern Kentucky got connected to a job; and more than 700 households and 50 businesses in remote southeast Oklahoma will have access to clean, safe drinking water for the first time. Today's announcement of six new Promise Zones will help bring similar success to high-poverty areas in these communities.

"Promise Zones are a comprehensive, strategic, and coordinated approach to community development that has yielded strong results in cities across the country," said Holly Leicht, HUD's Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. "By naming Camden one of eight new Promise Zones, the federal government is committing to target interagency collaboration and build local capacity, helping attract federal funding and private investment. This is the new model of urban revitalization."

In 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau designated Camden as being the poorest city in the nation (of the 555 places surveyed), with the lowest median income of $21,191. The 2013 Census data also showed that 44.5% of adults over age 25 had no high school diploma. The Camden Promise Zone has an alarming high unemployment rate, violent crime, childhood obesity, hunger, and the lowest performing school district in New Jersey.

The Camden Promise Zone Plan represents the culmination of five years of collaborative efforts aimed at improving the quality of life for Camden children, youth, and families. The following five goals have been set to build momentum and move Camden forward.

• Increase Economic Activity
• Reduce Serious And Violent Crime
• Improve Educational Outcomes
• Improve Health and Wellness
• Increase Affordable And Safe Housing

All Promise Zones will receive priority access to federal investments that further their strategic plans, federal staff on the ground to help them implement their goals, and five full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members to recruit and manage volunteers and strengthen the capacity of the Promise Zone initiatives.

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