City Of Omaha Poverty Elimination Action Plan

City of Omaha to Present Poverty Elimination Action Plan

OMAHA, Neb. - The City of Omaha will present its Poverty Elimination Action Plan, as required by Nebraska law (LB 840), at the regularly scheduled Omaha City Council meeting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday (June 17). The meeting will be held in the Legislative Chambers of the Omaha-Douglas Civic Center, 1819 Farnam St.

The city has identified priority areas for the first year - focusing on economic and workforce development, education, and affordable housing. The city will form a Mayor's Advisory Board to help inform plan execution.

"This report is a crucial first step in the deliberate approach my administration plans to take in addressing longstanding needs," Mayor John Ewing said. "I believe that improving the lives of Omahans in need will improve the city as a whole."

About the plan:

• LB 840, passed in 2024, requires the City of Omaha to develop a Poverty Elimination Action Plan, to include an evaluation, report, and plan for the city to execute over the next five years with the goal of eliminating poverty. Under the law, an initial plan is to be reported to the State of Nebraska by July 1, 2025. https://cityclerk.cityofomaha.org/wp-content/uploads/images/RES-2025-0556.pdf
• For this purpose, the City of Omaha defines poverty as a measure of deprivation, used to determine whether a household has enough income to meet its basic needs.
• Focal areas include education and job training, affordable housing, healthcare access, economic development, transportation and infrastructure, social services, and equity and inclusion.
• Geographic areas of focus within Omaha include: economic redevelopment areas, high poverty areas, and qualified census tracts.
• The University of Nebraska at Omaha assisted in this effort by defining the scope of poverty in Omaha and recommending action steps the city can take to help reduce the number of Omahans living in poverty.

About findings:

• Using the Official Poverty Measure (OPM), Omaha's poverty rate has declined since 2012, aligning with other large Midwest cities.
• Using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which researchers believe is a more accurate reflection, the rate is slightly lower than the national average. That said, Omaha's 2023 SPM poverty rate reached its highest level in a decade.
• Racial disparities exist in poverty rates in Omaha, with a higher rate of poverty among Black households, Hispanic or Latino households, and households of two or more races than White, non-Hispanic households.
• The 2021 Child Tax Credit expansion led to the lowest SPM poverty rate in recent history.
• While local organizations and the City of Omaha prioritize housing, employment, and health, community feedback highlighted unmet needs in affordable housing,
  employment, education, transportation, and other areas.

About the City of Omaha's Human Rights and Relations Department

Responsibilities include:

• Administration of the Small and Emerging Business, ONEBiz, and Economic Equity and Inclusion Programs
• Investigations of alleged Civil Rights violations in housing, employment, and public accommodation
• Public education
• Administration of a Restorative Justice Diversion Program for people charged with misdemeanors
• Americans with Disabilities Act Title II and Civil Rights Act of 1968 Title VI Coordinator for Omaha

About Cailin Daly Dejillas
Cailin Dejillas, J.D., is the director of the City of Omaha Human Rights & Relations Department, where she leads the department in the above-listed responsibilities and advances the Poverty Elimination Action Plan.