Five years following Hurricane Katrina—a tragedy compounded and made more complex by the Great Recession and the current Gulf oil spill—new evidence shows that greater New Orleans is emerging as a healthier, more resilient region.  Yet, this year’s New Orleans Index at Five, which combines comprehensive trends analyses with seven scholar essays on key post-Katrina reforms, reveals that much work lies ahead if this metropolis is to emerge with a stronger economy, better opportunities for its residents, and a more sustainable future.  The Gulf oil spill creates an opportunity for New Orleanians, and their government, philanthropic and private sector partners, to build on the progress made since Katrina.

The following papers--spearheaded by the Brookings Institution and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center--include data trends, essays, and a review of the state of greater New Orleans.

Allison Brooks, Chief of Staff of Reconnecting America, was recently featured in the summer edition of Community Investments. Her article, "Weaving Together Vibrant Communities through Transit-Oriented Development" provides a comprehensive introduction and overview of transit-oriented development (TOD). Also mentioned in the article are strategies which have proven successful for implementing TOD initiatives, highlighting effective implementation in low- to moderate-income communities.

To read the article, click here...

The wealth gap between white and African-American families increased more than four times between 1984-2007, and middle-income white households now own far more wealth than high-income African Americans, according to an analysis released by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University.

IASP, in a research brief, also reported that many African-Americans hold more debt than assets and at least 25 percent of African-American families had no assets to turn to in times of economic hardship. The fourfold increase in the wealth gap, it said, reflects public policies, such as tax cuts on investment income and inheritances, which benefit the wealthiest and persistent discrimination in housing, credit and labor markets.

"Our study shows a broken chain of achievement. Even when African-Americans do everything right -- get an education and work hard at well-paying jobs -- they cannot achieve the wealth of their white peers in the workforce, and that translates into very different life chances," said Thomas Shapiro, IASP director and co-author of the research brief.

To read the full analysis, click here.

In many cases, the key barrier to economic advancement is the inability to find and keep a good job. To revitalize the city and re-establish Baltimore as a thriving urban center, the underemployment problem must be challenged head-on, and an investment must be made in the vast potential of the city’s untapped human capital. Building pathways out of poverty into the middle class could increase the total income earned by African-American city residents by over $3 billion per year, which would in turn bolster local business and city tax revenues. I

In a new report, Job Opportunities Task Force and Associated Black Charities (JOTF and ABC) explore workforce strategies for expanding Baltimore’s black middle class. The report highlights policies for expanding the number of good jobs within the city, building pathways to help low-skill workers access these jobs, and reducing employment discrimination.

To read the full report, click here.