The Obama administration has declared parts of Evansville a “Promise Zone.”
Antonio Riley of the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the designation before a crowd of community leaders and residents outside St. Lucas Hall.
The crowd cheered and gave Riley a standing ovation.
Riley says the “Promise Zone” designation gives Evansville an edge in requesting federal aid for areas dealing with joblessness, crime, and sub-standard housing.
He says the city will be given bonus points to speedup the process of federal aid.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke praised the local collaborative effort that won the HUD designation.
ECHO will be the lead local agency for the Promise Zone, which covers much of the Center City, and parts of the North and Southeast sides of Evansville -- home to more than 22,000 resdidents.