Through the efforts of the Partnership for Neighborhood Improvement (PNI), the City of Knoxville, Knox County, and the State of Tennessee, a large portion of Knoxville has been designated an "Empowerment Zone" (EZ) by the Federal Government.  The program, administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is an important effort to stimulate new jobs, empower low-income individuals and families to become economically self-sufficient, and to promote revitalization of economically depressed areas.

A neighborhood organization must be a member of C.O.I.N., to qualify for membership in the Zone Advisory Councils (ZACs) that will help determine projects to be undertaken in the EZ. There are six ZACs in the EZ.