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Overview

Vera Louisiana’s work has two strategic priorities: addressing Louisiana’s carceral impact statewide and advocating for investments in community-driven solutions that address root causes of violence and fulfill community visions of safety.

The Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) is a member organization of the Big Easy Budget Coalition (BEBC), a diverse, growing group of more than 30 social justice organizations across New Orleans. BEBC advocates for city budget investments that address root causes of violence and support safe, thriving communities. Vera, the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, and the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center established the coalition in 2022. They did so in response to the city’s plan to appropriate much of the federally awarded $388 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward policing and shortfalls in the city budget—despite the funding’s stated purpose of “[fostering] a strong, inclusive, and equitable recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past three city budget cycles, BEBC has developed and proposed the Big Easy Deal, a set of requests for budget investments in public health, community safety, youth and families, housing, infrastructure, food access, labor, and economic development that would better support the community’s health, safety, and quality of life. Vera has supported the refinement of the Big Easy Deal and the coalition’s advocacy by conducting survey research to identify Orleans Parish residents’ priorities for how the city invests its financial resources, which include public tax dollars.

The research briefs summarize the annual results of the BEBC Survey from 2023 through 2025, noting what people and communities need to thrive, perceptions of neighborhood safety, perceptions of city spending, and priorities for city investments.

Key Takeaway

Although most respondents reported feeling safe and connected to their neighborhood, community members identified the need for greater investment in resources and services that make for a safer, more thriving city—including safe and affordable housing, education, opportunities for youth, infrastructure improvements, mental health services, and programs and services for low-income people.

Key Facts

Since 2023, the Big Easy Budget Coalition’s advocacy has resulted in more than $80M in allocations toward affordable housing, community violence prevention and intervention, education, programs combating food insecurity, and opportunities for youth.

Most people who responded to the BEBC survey reported feeling safe walking in their neighborhood, even at night.

In each year of the survey, “police and courts” was the sole city budget category where half or more of respondents believed the city spends “too much.”