* May a Customized Investment Area include both Metro and Non-Metro census tracts or must it only include census tracts that are designated as metro census tracts?

FAQ Question
* May a Customized Investment Area include both Metro and Non-Metro census tracts or must it only include census tracts that are designated as metro census tracts?
FAQ Answer

A Customized Investment Area can include both Metro and non-Metro census tracts. However, Non-Metro Customized Investment Areas, Counties, and Parishes must be comprised of geographic units that are all designated as non-metro.

Customized Investment Areas include a contiguous mix of both qualified and non-qualified geographic units of a single type. 

  • Metropolitan Customized Investment Areas must be comprised of only census tracts.
  • Non-Metro Customized Investment Areas may be comprised of census tracts, counties, or county equivalents (such as parishes or municipalities), as long as the geographic units have not been included in any other customized Investment Area in an entity’s overall CDFI Certification Target Market.

The CDFI Certification Market record has been updated to include the following Target Market types:

  • IA – Pre-qualified;
  • IA – Customized;
  • IA – Non-Metro Customized; and
  • IA – Non-Metro counties/parishes.