The Right Organization at the Right Time
The Pew Hispanic Center reports the Latino population has grown by 87% in Douglas County, 116% in Sarpy County and 113% in Pottawattamie County. Douglas and Sarpy Counties have more than 69,000 Latino residents. Despite a growing Latino population, there is a very low rate of Latino-owned businesses. 1.3% of firms in the Omaha-Council Bluffs MSA are Latino-owned compared to 94.5% owned by Whites.
Latinos in the greater omaha area experience poverty at a higher rate: 13% are in poverty in Pottawattamie County, and 28% in Dodge, 23% in Douglas, 15% in Sarpy and 36% in Saunders counties in NE, compared 7.6% in IA, 8.1% in NE, and 10.5% nationally, indicating Latinos need opportunities to increase their income through employment or business ownership.
The challenge is to support the creation of Latino-owned businesses that can provide new employment opportunities, particularly for low income Latino residents.
Founded in 2006, MLCDC provides necessary services to the growing population of Latinos in greater Omaha area. As a whole, greater Omaha area’s Latino population is in search of employment, opportunities to care for their young children, and methods of becoming acculturated to mainstream society including the U.S. financial system.
