Grants for improvements on publicly owned property necessary to complete eligible projects, consistent with the criteria set forth in this chapter, shall be given preference in enterprise zones designated as such by the board in the case of a strategic investment or in those municipalities which are experiencing three (3) or more of the following problems:
Twenty percent (20%) or more of the population with income below the poverty level as reported in the most recent federal decennial census.
The unemployment rate of the county is at least two percent (2%) greater than the state unemployment rate as reported by the Mississippi Employment Security Commission.
Five percent (5%) or more loss of population between 1970 and 1980 as reported by the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of Commerce.
Significant business vacancy rate within the area, either in gross footage or acreage or in the number of business or industrial buildings.