For Rankins, it’s an opportunity he once could have never imagined.
He served in the Army from 1983-1986 and suffered from PTSD when he got out.
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"It led to drugs which led to me losing my family and everything that I had and I ended up on the streets homeless,” Rankins said.
He even landed in jail.
But it all changed 2.5 years ago when he said he was trained to work in construction in Cincinnati for a company called “Our Investments.”
He got the job through a program called opportunity zones under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
It gives tax incentives to companies who invest and build in poor neighborhoods and create new jobs.
"Not only did they give me the job, they provided everything that I needed so that I could go forward,” Rankins said.
President Trump has touted the opportunity zones as an accomplishment.
Some Democrats have criticized the program saying it benefits wealthy investors with ties to the Trump administration.
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But for Rankins, the program has been life changing.
"Without it, I wouldn't be standing here right now,” Rankins said.
He’s hoping his story sends a message of hope to others struggling and to his wife, children and grandchildren who are now back in his life.
"All of the shame I caused on them, maybe a little of it will go away now,” Rankins said.
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