Shreveport Unveils Neighborhood-Level Data Tool for Community Insights
Shreveport residents, gather ’round! It looks like the City of Shreveport is getting an exciting new tool that will help us understand our neighborhoods better than ever before. Thanks to the hard work of LSUS’s Center for Business and Economic Research, we now have a resource that digs deep into census data to provide a neighborhood-level view of our vibrant city.
A Fresh Perspective on Our Neighborhoods
Instead of just looking at Shreveport as a whole, this innovative tool covers all 44 unique neighborhoods that make up our community. It highlights important information that affects our daily lives—like household poverty status, education attainment, home ownership, and renter status. This means we can now see how many of our neighbors are homeowners or renters, as well as how many are feeling the pinch of housing costs. In particular, it shows how many of us pay at least 30% of our income for housing—something called “cost burden.”
What’s Inside the Toolkit?
The data comes from the 2022 American Community Survey, a project by the U.S. Census Bureau. This survey is designed to offer population snapshots between the complete census that happens every ten years. By using aggregated data from the last five years, the LSUS Center has created a resource that local nonprofits can utilize to gather vital insights about their neighborhoods—something that is often hard to come by due to a lack of time and resources.
Director Douglas White explained the motivation behind this tool, “We created this tool with the idea that it would help local nonprofits. They typically don’t have the time or the resources to get a lot of data they may need.” This makes it a game-changer for organizations looking to apply for grants or connect with potential donors by telling a specific story about their neighborhood.
Support for Local Nonprofits
White recently presented this valuable tool to local nonprofit leaders participating in a capacity-building workshop. Among these leaders is Madison Poche, who operates The Highland Center. Poche regularly seeks out data about the Highland neighborhood and shared how this tool impacts her work. “Our mission is to create a thriving neighborhood to improve the lives of our residents. One of every three households lives below the federal poverty level in Highland—that’s three times the national average.”
Poche emphasizes that having access to this data will help her center better target services, such as housing assistance and family support programs.
Data for Everyone!
The importance of this neighborhood-level data isn’t limited to nonprofits. It’s also incredibly useful for businesses and residents alike. As Frances Williams, executive director of Bernstein Development, pointed out, “When I’m applying for grants or asking for corporate donations, they often want detailed demographic information.” This in-depth data supports those who want to serve the needs of Shreveport’s communities better.
Of course, it’s essential to note that this data comes from a sample of around 3% of the total population, which means there are some margins of error. Data reliability is marked with colors: green for high reliability, blue for medium, and red for low. But as White reinforces, “Low reliability numbers are not worthless; they still have value, there just may be more error associated.”
Room for Growth
Looking forward, White hopes this tool will evolve based on community interest and feedback. The aim is to not just assist nonprofits but also to help residents find housing and potential business opportunities.
In conclusion, this new neighborhood-level data tool is a fantastic resource for the residents of Shreveport, opening doors for local nonprofits and residents alike. With insights that can enhance community life, we look forward to seeing how organizations and individuals will utilize this data to help uplift our neighborhoods, making Shreveport a better place for everyone.
