The Big Easy Budget Coalition is a diverse, growing group of individuals and more than forty social justice organizations across New Orleans working to build thriving communities and address the root causes of violence. We advocate for key budget investments in affordable housing, violence prevention and intervention, youth development, and community equity. We advocate with and on behalf of Black residents, communities of color, and low-income communities across every district in the city. To formally join the coalition, please email BigEasyBudget@gmail.com.

Our History

In 2021, a number of community organizations working on everything from violence prevention to housing and economic development came together to advocate for the City of New Orleans to spend American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on the building blocks of safe, thriving communities: affordable housing, youth services and programs, community violence intervention and other equitable initiatives. That group became the Big Easy Budget Coalition (BEBC), which now includes more than forty New Orleans-based organizations representing every district in the city.

The City of New Orleans received $388 million in ARPA funding, intended to “foster a strong, inclusive, and equitable recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic. Before BEBC members got involved, elected officials planned to spend much of this funding on the police department and plugging holes in the city budget. 

As a result of sustained advocacy and community pressure, the mayoral administration proposed, and the city council approved, a 2024 budget which included $26 million of investments in affordable housing construction, violence interrupters in the Office of Violence Prevention, programs combating food insecurity, infrastructure to measure youth services, and more.