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Secretary Turner hails Erie as a model for Opportunity Zones, cites national investment figures
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Summary
HUD Secretary Turner and Representative Kelly praised Erie’s downtown work as a template for Opportunity Zones, with Turner asserting Opportunity Zones have driven roughly $89 billion in private investment and lifted about 1,000,000 people out of poverty; those claims were presented without in-conference supporting documentation.
Secretary Turner, head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Representative Kelly used a news conference in Erie to present the city as a model for Opportunity Zones and to tout nationwide impacts of the program.
Turner said Opportunity Zones have produced large-scale private investment and community gains. "Opportunity zones have lifted 1,000,000 people out of poverty," Turner said, adding that "$89,000,000,000 of investment" has flowed into Opportunity Zones nationwide. He also said housing values in Opportunity Zones "have risen while rents did not." Representative Kelly echoed the praise for Erie’s downtown work and described the local effort as a template for similar investment elsewhere.
Why it matters: Turner framed Opportunity Zones as a private-investment tool that can stimulate local housing, job creation and family formation without relying on direct taxpayer funding. The officials positioned Erie — where Turner said nearly $400,000,000 in Opportunity Zone investment has flowed and the population is about 93,000 — as an example of how public and private stakeholders can collaborate.
What was said and what’s unclear: Turner and Kelly described economic and social benefits and repeated numerical totals in the conference. The claims (lifted 1,000,000 people from poverty; $89 billion invested; rents remaining flat while housing values rise) were stated by Turner during the event and were not accompanied by in-conference citations or supporting datasets. The conference transcript does not record independent verification or a source document shown at the podium.
Context and next steps: Turner said HUD will continue to work with congressional leaders on Opportunity Zones policy and with local leaders to scale the approach beyond urban centers to tribal and rural areas. Representative Kelly said future emphasis may shift toward rural Opportunity Zones. No formal legislation or vote was announced at the event.
Quote: "That's what they bring together," Turner said of Opportunity Zones, summarizing his view that the program blends housing, jobs and community revitalization.
The news conference concluded with no formal actions taken; Turner and Kelly left the prospect of legislative changes and program evaluations to ongoing work with Congress and local partners.
