About Ben Bartlett and Matt Napoli

Ben Bartlett is a member of the Berkeley City Council. His policy work centers on Innovation, Opportunity, and Inclusion.

Matt Napoli is a Legislative Assistant. His policy work focuses on Affordable Housing and Sustainability.

A Community Blueprint for Opportunity Zones

Cities can and should inform their community members living in Opportunity Zones about what Opportunity Zones are, and how they work to protect them from speculation and displacement. Cities should also create zoning overlays to ensure projects proposed in Opportunity Zones actually provide community benefit. Cities can even create impact investing prospectuses marketing their Opportunity Zones to ethical investors. And, finally, cities should be ambitious, and create their own Opportunity Funds to include investment experts, policy experts, and members of the community to fund equitable, sustainable projects that actually benefit communities.