Presentation for the 2019 Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference on March 29, 2019 in Cambridge, MA

1. Environmental
Justice and
Gentrification
Cory Seremetis, Aseel Alharthi, Christopher
Luis-Reyes

2. Environmental Justice Community Criteria:
- Median income is low
- Mostly minority social groups
- Isolated group of non-English speakers
Gentrification: the displacement of residents
after redevelopment of a neighborhood, due to
the rise in housing and rent values

4. Opportunity Zones
- Investing in Opportunity Act, tax reform law 2017
- “Opportunity Funds must be classified as a corporation or partnership for
income tax purposes, meaning a limited liability company (LLC) can qualify.
Opportunity Funds must also be created or organized in one of the 50 U.S.
states, DC, or a U.S. territory”

6. So how do we help
Environmental Justice Communities?

7. Future goals
- Research: social policy and economics
- Discussion, April 17
- Potential solutions
- Community Land Trusts
- EPA grants
- Entrepreneurship programs