The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

“Affordable housing.” Housing that serves median-income, low-income, very low-income and extremely low-income families as those terms are defined in section 3 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (50 Stat. 888, 42 U.S.C. § 1437 et seq.) based on the area median income as determined by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

“Business firm.” Any business entity authorized to do business in this Commonwealth and subject to taxes imposed by Article III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX or XV¹ of this act. The term shall include a pass-through entity.

“Charitable food program.” An emergency food provider or a regional food bank as defined in section 2 of the act of December 11, 1992 (P.L. 807, No. 129),² known as the “State Food Purchase Program Act.”

“Community services.” Any type of counseling and advice, emergency assistance, food assistance or medical care furnished to individuals or groups in an impoverished area.

“Comprehensive service plan.” A strategy developed jointly by a neighborhood organization and a sponsoring business firm or private company for the stabilization and improvement of an impoverished area within an urban neighborhood or rural community.

“Comprehensive service project.” Any activity conducted jointly by a neighborhood organization and a sponsoring business firm which implements a comprehensive service plan.

“Crime prevention.” Any activity which aids in the reduction of crime in an impoverished area.

“Domestic violence or veterans' housing assistance.” Furnishing financial assistance, labor, material and technical advice to aid in the acquisition, construction, renovation or rehabilitation of real property in an impoverished area that will be used to provide housing for victims of domestic violence or veterans.

“Education.” Any type of scholastic instruction or scholarship assistance to an individual who resides in an impoverished area that enables that individual to prepare for better life opportunities.

“Enterprise zones.” Specific locations with identifiable boundaries within impoverished areas which are designated as enterprise zones by the Secretary of Community and Economic Development.

“Impoverished area.” Any area in this Commonwealth which is certified as such by the Department of Community and Economic Development and the certification is approved by the Governor. Such certification shall be made on the basis of Federal census studies and current indices of social and economic conditions.

“Job training.” Any type of instruction to an individual who resides in an impoverished area that enables that individual to acquire vocational skills so that the individual can become employable or be able to seek a higher grade of employment.

“Neighborhood assistance.” Furnishing financial assistance, labor, material and technical advice to aid in the physical improvement of any part or all of an impoverished area.

“Neighborhood organization.” Any organization performing community services, offering neighborhood assistance or providing job training, affordable housing, domestic violence or veterans' housing assistance, education or crime prevention in an impoverished area, holding a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service of the United States Department of the Treasury that the organization is exempt from income taxation under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.) and approved by the Department of Community and Economic Development.

“Pass-through entity.” A partnership as defined under section 301(n.0)³ or a Pennsylvania S corporation as defined under section 301(n.1).

“Private company.” Any agricultural, industrial, manufacturing or research and development enterprise as defined in section 3 of the act of May 17, 1956 (1955 P.L. 1609, No. 537),⁴ known as the “Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority Act,” or any commercial enterprise as defined in section 3 of the act of August 23, 1967 (P.L. 251, No. 102),⁵ known as the “Economic Development Financing Law.”

“Qualified investments.” Any investments made by a private company which promote community economic development pursuant to a plan which has been developed in cooperation with and approved by a neighborhood organization operating pursuant to a plan for the administration of tax credits approved by the Department of Community and Economic Development.

“Secretary.” The Secretary of Community and Economic Development of the Commonwealth.

“Youth and adolescent development services.” Financial assistance to provide services to youth and adolescents who are 21 years of age and younger, including job training and apprenticeship programs, job placement and retention training, education and after school programs, such as school programs with shared governance by students, teachers and parents, and activities for youth between the hours of 3 p.m. and 11 p.m., mentoring programs, conflict resolution skills training, sports, arts, life skills, employment and recreation programs, summer jobs, summer recreation programs and alternative school resources for youth who have dropped out of school or demonstrate chronic truancy.