“Community Bootstrapping.

Adapting successful growth models from

Jewish- & Asian-American communities

to others in Post-Katrina New Orleans.”

Frederick Weil, LSU Sociology

March 27, 2006

1. The Issues/Challenges & Opportunities.

1. Repairing & Building housing so that a working/employee population is available to business.

i. A large market is emerging.

2. Bringing people with building skills into the city & house them while they work.
3. Providing jobs & training for building tradespeople at various levels.  Creating incentives out of the cycle of poverty.
4. Creating viable neighborhoods of moderate & lower income workers.
5. Avoiding the re-creation of concentrations of poverty, dependence, crime & social problems that harm the population & drain the economy.

2. The Proposal: Build Work Groups & Revolving Credit Societies.

1. Create a company or group that hires people with different levels of construction skills, including apprentices who will learn the building trades.

i. The State Dept of Labor will help with training.

2. Customers will be home- & apartment owners, especially in moderate or lower-income areas.

i. Their ability to pay will come especially from Community Development Block Grants & Insurance.

3. Donors/Funders will provide additional money to (1) give customers a discount, (2) bring workers’ wages up to market levels (3) provide funds so that workers can repair their own housing part-time while still being paid market rates.
4. Company will be overseen by Managers, Building Experts, Community Leaders.
5. Mentors will help workers develop business & economic skills as well as trade skills.
6. A percentage of income will be donated to a revolving-credit fund, so that the process can become (somewhat?) self-sustaining.
7. The company/group can then make zero-interest small loans for stores, education, etc. in the community.