What opportunities exist for developers working in economically distressed communities to harness foreign investment? A recent Real Estate Research blog post by Will Lambe, the Atlanta Fed's senior CED adviser on community development finance, explores one source for commercial projects that is gaining the attention of community and economic development practitioners. The Immigrant Investor Program, called EB-5, is a federal program designed to attract foreign investment to real estate projects in challenged markets. The EB-5 program provides residency status to foreign investors in exchange for personal capital investments that create jobs in the United States.

This first of two blog posts describes the mechanics of EB-5 and some of the trends and challenges facing the program. The second post will address the program's impacts in the southeastern region and further assess its strengths and weaknesses.

For examination of other tools and policies used in economically distressed communities, follow this publication in the coming months.