Community Development: Progress on Economic Development Activities Varies Among the Empowerment Zones

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program, focusing on the: (1) progress made by the federal empowerment zones in implementing the program; (2) steps taken by the two responsible federal agencies--the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA)--to monitor and evaluate the existing zones' progress; and (3) status of steps to designate the second group of empowerment zones.