The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is hosting an “Opportunity Zones 2.0” Local Stakeholders Kickoff Webinar on Wednesday, May 20, from 9:30 am to 10:30 am. 

This webinar is for local officials, economic development leaders, and other local government employees interested in Maryland’s Opportunity Zones 2.0 nomination process and recent federal updates to the program.

Opportunity Zones (OZ) are federally designated census tracts created to encourage long-term private investment in economically disadvantaged communities through targeted tax incentives. The program is intended to spur economic development, support job creation, and attract new business and housing investment in underserved areas.

Now, states nationwide are preparing for the rollout of Opportunity Zones 2.0 following federal changes made through H.R. 1 of 2025. Under the updated law, governors must designate a new set of eligible census tracts by September 29, 2026. In Maryland, Governor Wes Moore has delegated the designation process to DHCD.

As such, DHCD is asking counties to help identify and nominate tracts that align with local development and investment priorities. Maryland may designate up to 113 eligible census tracts statewide, compared to 149 during the original rollout.

During the webinar, the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) — a leading national think tank and advocacy organization focused on Opportunity Zones — will provide an overview of the updated program, lessons learned from the first round of Opportunity Zones, policy changes under OZ 2.0, and best practices for selecting census tracts. The session will also highlight potential investment opportunities and strategies for maximizing local impact.

DHCD staff will then review the nomination timeline, submission requirements, and evaluation process. The department has also developed resources to support local review efforts, including an Opportunity Zones 2.0 Eligibility Map that allows users to analyze eligible census tracts alongside Transit-Oriented Development sites, Enterprise Zones, and other development-related data layers.

The webinar will be recorded and posted to DHCD’s Opportunity Zone webpage for future reference by local governments and economic development partners.

Details:

Wednesday, May 20th from 9:30am – 10:30am.

Register for the Opportunity Zone 2.0 Local Stakeholders Webinar.