Secretary Ben Carson said HUD will give preference to developers and investors who build affordable housing in federal Opportunity Zones when it comes to certain grants. In an interview with The Real Deal, Sec. Carson said, “if you are doing a project within an Opportunity Zone and you are applying for one of our grants, you get some preference. So that, along with the tax advantages, will drive people to look at those (areas). We are also offering very specific technical assistance to help them coordinate their efforts.” Sec. Carson is leading the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council focused on jump-starting development in urban and rural communities through the creation of Opportunity Zones.  Cason also told The Real Deal he is working with other federal agencies and programs to coordinate efforts, so that developers can combine the Opportunity Zone tax benefits with other tax credits, such as the New Market Tax Credit.