# Distressed Counties Program - Appalachian Regional Commission

- Appalachian Community Capital: Investing in the Investors Access to capital is one of the biggest obstacles to small business and entrepreneurial growth in Appalachia. In 2013, with seed money from ARC and other partners, Appalachian Community Capital (ACC) was founded to increase business lending opportunities and new sources of capital via community loan funds and Regional Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). As [&#8230;]The post Appalachian Community Capital: Investing in the Investors appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Opportunity Zones What Are Opportunity Zones? Opportunity Zones are economically distressed communities where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities qualify as Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by the state, and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury’s delegation of authority [&#8230;]The post Opportunity Zones appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Strategies for Economic Improvement in Appalachia’s Distressed Rural Counties This report provides an understanding of the challenges confronting economic and community development efforts in rural Appalachian communities and explains the ways local governments, agencies, and community organizations plan and respond to challengingThe post Strategies for Economic Improvement in Appalachia&#8217;s Distressed Rural Counties appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Developing and Assessing Potential Forward-Looking Distress Indicators for the Appalachian Region This ARC-commissioned study evaluated indicators used to classify counties as economically distressed, with the goal of improving the ability to target resources effectively to counties facing barriers to economic progress.The post Developing and Assessing Potential Forward-Looking Distress Indicators for the Appalachian Region appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- An Assessment of Alternative Measures for Determining Economically Distressed Counties and Areas in the Appalachian Region This report responds to a proactive effort by the ARC to explore new avenues for assessing wellbeing. Despite well-recognized advances, chronic socioeconomic distress persists in various pockets in the region while other areas face instability.The post An Assessment of Alternative Measures for Determining Economically Distressed Counties and Areas in the Appalachian Region appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Trends in National and Regional Economic Distress: 1960-2000 This report analyzes recent demographic data to examine the factors explaining the graduation of distressed counties and the persistence of distress in Appalachia and other regions of the U.S.The post Trends in National and Regional Economic Distress: 1960-2000 appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Labor Market Performance, Poverty, and Income Inequality in Appalachia This study examines the performance of the Appalachian economy and how residents of Appalachia fared between 1990 and 2000.The post Labor Market Performance, Poverty, and Income Inequality in Appalachia appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Progress and Challenges in Reducing Economic Distress in Appalachia: An Analysis of National and Regional Trends Since 1960 This report analyzes changes in the number of distressed counties in Appalachia and the entire United States for the census years 1960, 1970, 1980, and 1990.The post Progress and Challenges in Reducing Economic Distress in Appalachia: An Analysis of National and Regional Trends Since 1960 appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Building on Past Experiences: Creating a New Future for Distressed Counties This report studies the development experience of the distressed counties with the aim of identifying the lessons that might be learned from those counties that have changed socioeconomic status.The post Building on Past Experiences: Creating a New Future for Distressed Counties appeared first on Appalachian Regional Commission.