Main Street America | Old Algiers Main Street pilots workforce training project

“We’re supporting people and small businesses at the same time,” said Aaron Jackson of Old Algiers Main Street Corporation. “It’s not just about the places, it’s about the people too.”

Founded in 1719, the Old Algiers neighborhood sits across the river from the French Quarter. Long seen as an affordable enclave for artists and creatives—over the last few years, housing costs were skyrocketing. Jackson and the Main Street organization recognized that many residents struggled to stay in their community. They wanted to create a job training program in a field that had few barriers to entry but opportunities for advancement. The project was dubbed #EquityRising.

“In our community, economic equity is huge,” said Linetta Gilbert, vice president of the Old Algiers Main Street Board of Directors. “We settled on a neighborhood-based approach—providing opportunities for people to live and work in the neighborhood.”

Read more from Main Street America. The full piece was previously published by Louisiana Main Street on its Facebook page, and will be published in its inaugural e-newsletter.