Omaha Leaders Showcase Needs in Community Summit

 

OMAHA, NE - In North Omaha, state and local leaders are trying to figure out where to funnel funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

On Saturday (January 29), community leaders will have their opportunity to make their case on why investments in infrastructure, health care, and other areas are necessary.

For the Urban League of Nebraska's interim president Wayne Brown, this couldn’t come at a better time.

"It's kind of a tale of two cities," Brown said. "You have those people coming in who are unemployed or underemployed and then we have the opportunity of growth with such a low unemployment rate, trying to connect those individuals to jobs and training to get those jobs that are available."

The Urban League of Nebraska (Omaha, NE) has been a center for workforce and educational development for North Omaha for several decades. Wraparound services, such as healthcare and better access to transportation, will directly benefit the community that the Urban League of Nebraska is serving.  

Other community leaders in North Omaha have pointed out that there needs to be better access to loans and investors for Black business owners. "We are the most mentored and the least funded," Candice Price, a representative Grow Nebraska women’s business center, said. "And so now we have the information and the access to the knowledge and resources, well, we need some money to be able to get there."

With the health department declaring racism a public health crisis in 2020, Commissioner Chris Rodgers has said that the county will investigate these inequalities, though it is just the beginning.

The Commissioner also reminded that while funding from ARPA and other federal grants won’t solve every issue, it will be a welcome boost for the city.

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