U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), chairman of the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, applauded the new Qualified Opportunity Zones in Pennsylvania following their new designation by the U.S. Treasury Department.
Beginning in 2027, more than 6,500 communities across the United States will be designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones, including 18 in the six counties of the 16th Congressional District. Qualified Opportunity Zones. The zones are a low-income population census tract designated by the state’s governor, and certified by the U.S. Treasury Secretary to encourage long-term private investment and job creations, according to the IRS.
“Opportunity Zones have been an incredible success in communities across the country since they were first created in the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. Now, thanks to the passage of the Working Families Tax Cuts last year, rural communities across our region will be able to benefit, as well,” Kelly said. “This policy puts private dollars, not taxpayer dollars, to work in our communities. I’ve been proud to support it, and I’m excited to partner with our local leaders to turn dreams into reality.”
As chair of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, Kelly led the Opportunity Zones legislation in Congress. In 2025, the Working Families Tax Cuts, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, expanded and made permanent the Opportunity Zones legislation encouraging private investment in low-income and rural communities. The WFTC expanded Opportunity Zones to cover communities, cities and towns with a population of less than 50,000.
In the 16th District, the City of Erie’s Opportunity Zones in the downtown 16501 ZIP code, remains a national model for program success, Kelly’s office said.