Since our 2001 report, the four entities responsible for administering the Toolkit for Economic Development adopted OPPAGA's recommendations, and the program operated until its grants were closed in December 2002. Workforce Florida, Inc., was designated to coordinate the initiative.
Although the program was appropriated $25 million, it was able to award only $13.6 million in grants to 30 distressed communities. These grants supported a broad variety of activities, such as providing computer training to welfare recipients, providing tutoring to at-risk students, and support services to grandparents and other relatives raising children in rural areas.
As a lasting benefit of the program, the entities developed an inventory that identifies federal and state resources that target Florida's distressed areas, including tax credits, incentives, and grants. This information is now on a website.

No Title
Report 01-25
Locals Find State Urban Revitalization Programs Useful; More Centralized Program Information Would Be Helpful
Report 05-32 May 2005
Workforce Development System Overview
Report 04-19 February 2004

Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.