President Barack Obama on announced on Jan. 9 the first five Promise Zones, part of a White House initiative to combat income inequality and spur mobility in areas that have been slow to recover economically.

The five communities selected — in San Antonio, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, southeastern Kentucky and around the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma — will receive comprehensive assistance from multiple federal agencies, with the goal of creating jobs, expanding educational opportunities, increasing access to affordable housing and improving public safety. Within the next three years, a total of 20 zones will be selected to receive assistance.