By Ana Gomez Salcido 
As part of the third and final round of a federal initiative launched by President Barack Obama back in January 2014, the City of San Diego was designated as a Promise Zone this past Monday, June 6.
The designation will give San Diego, specifically the South East community, an edge in securing federal support to create jobs, ramp up the local economy, improve education and access to affordable housing, and lower the crime rate.
“This is a big deal,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of Corporation for National and Community Service. “Today, we are making announcement of nine Promise Zones throughout the United States and San Diego is one of them.”
There were 82 community applications in 38 different states in the running for this year’s designations. The nine chosen areas were San Diego and South Los Angeles in California; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Evansville, Indiana; Spokane Tribe of Indians, Washington; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, North Dakota; Southwest Florida Regional Planning Commission; and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
“A total of 500 million dollars in federal funding have been secure since the launch of this Obama initiative,” said Spencer.
The designation announcement was made in front of a crowd at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation with the presence of political leaders like San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Congressman Scott Peters, and Congressman Juan Vargas.
“We won the designation because San Diego has been recognized nationally for its successful ideas,” said Congressman Peters.
Mayor Faulconer said the Promise Zone status was given through collaboration between authorities including congressmen Juan Vargas, Susan Davis, and Scott Peters, as well as the San Diego City Council.
“This was a very competitive process and I think San Diego deserves this Promise Zone. We have very hardworking people here that just want to create opportunities for their kids and their families and it’s difficult,” said Vargas. “We have to have safe neighborhoods, affordable housing and jobs. We are working hard for it, but we need a little help and that’s what I think this designation is going to do.”