Immigration, refugee services, housing and summer enrichment programs have emerged as some of the most pressing topics for leaders of Omaha Together One Community.
OTOC — a citizens group that draws much of its support from area churches — has been holding meetings to discuss and identify concerns. On Sunday, about 150 OTOC leaders met with four government officials to push for community improvements.
Among the subjects OTOC presented:
» Refugee assistance. One significant step to help the roughly 25,000 refugees from Africa and Asia navigate the city would be to provide routes and schedules at city bus stops, said Joe Higgs, an OTOC organizer.
» Housing and neighborhood revitalization. OTOC leaders pushed for higher fees for housing code violations — $50 instead of $41. At $50, the fee would be high enough to land on a credit report if unpaid and put more pressure on landlords to improve rental properties, Higgs said.
OTOC also has suggested that the city should require that rental properties be registered and regularly inspected.
» Summer enrichment programs for children: OTOC organizers identified underserved areas of Omaha that could benefit from the Sun Dawgs program, which had its funding cut in half from last year. South Omaha children, in particular, need good, safe places to hang out, the organization said.
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