Efforts launched to create Omaha plan to eliminate poverty, as required by new NE law

OMAHA — Two Omaha meetings are scheduled for Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 to gather public input to be used as the city creates a poverty elimination action plan. 

Such a plan, required of Nebraska’s two largest cities, is the result of a law passed by the Nebraska Legislature earlier this year. The aim of the legislation introduced by State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha is to better understand and address poverty and ultimately lift economic circumstances for poor families across the state.

Omaha’s plan is being coordinated by the Nebraska Center for Justice Research of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the City of Omaha Human Rights & Relations Department.

They are hosting the public engagement sessions to learn Omahans’ perspective on the root causes of poverty and proposed solutions to eliminate poverty.

Key components of the plan, in addition to community engagement, include a needs assessment, data analysis, education and job training, affordable housing and health care access.

Plans are to be submitted by mid-2025 to the Legislature and include strategies for use of federal, state and local incentives to help reduce poverty in impacted areas.

While the proposal for Nebraska cities to create five-year anti-poverty plans was met mostly with support during a legislative hearing in January, a few opponents cited concerns that it would be expensive for smaller towns. The bill had no funding allocation attached to it.

In the end, McKinney said, lawmakers narrowed the mandate to apply only to Omaha and Lincoln.

Lincoln officials said they will be submitting the Lincoln plan to the Legislature by July. They haven’t yet scheduled community input meetings.