Public News Service

From September 2020 through 2021, more than 60 million Americans volunteered a total of more than 4 billion hours. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)

Volunteers an essential part of NE Community Action Partnerships

April is National Volunteer Month, and Nebraskans rank high nationwide for their willingness to volunteer. In the most recent Census Bureau/…

A 2023 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science reports that adults in the United States living with at least one child are twice as likely to be evicted as adults without children, and that Black Americans make up more than 51% of those experiencing eviction filings. (Lyndon Stratford/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

NE bill would reduce eviction impact, increase gender, racial equity

Evictions are on the rise in Nebraska and in many places around the country. Nearly 2,500 more eviction proceedings were initiated in Nebraska courts …

Over one 24-hour period in March 2022, domestic-violence hotlines in Nebraska received 182 calls, an average of eight per hour, and 523 adults and children received services. (Fizkes/Adobe Stock)

Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Help available in every NE county

It is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, calling attention to an issue affecting up to 12 million men, women and children in the nation …

Only 546 of the tenants in the the 5,563 eviction cases filed in Nebraska in the first half of 2023 were represented by legal counsel. (tab62/Adobe Stock)

As evictions rise, NE renters need to know their rights

High rent prices are draining the budgets of many Nebraska renters, who are paying between 30% and 50% of their income on rent. In some parts of the …

Homes in the award-winning Ho-Chunk Village on the Winnebago Reservation. (Photo by Jerry L. Mennenga, courtesy of Ho-Chunk, Inc.)

Winnebago Tribe's Ho-Chunk Village Wins Major Award, Serves as Model

Nebraska's Winnebago Tribe is considered a mid-sized tribe, but it's a big award winner. The tribe's Ho-Chunk Village housing development is one of …

According to Bloomberg, in the first quarter of 2023, U.S. foreclosure filings jumped 22% compared with the same period in 2022. The number of foreclosures had risen for 23 straight months. (Adobe Stock)

June 30 Deadline for NE Homeowners' COVID-Related Expenses

Many homeowners in Nebraska and across the country have struggled financially since the COVID pandemic. They can still receive financial help from …

The percentage of Nebraska children living in single-parent households has fluctuated between 28% and 30% since 2011. (Jacob Lund/Adobe Stock)

Despite #1 Rank for 'Economic Well-Being,' NE Parents Struggle

Nebraska children rank first in the nation for economic well-being in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2023 Kids Count Data Book, and eighth for …

An aerial view of Roca, Neb. Some 37% percent of Nebraska's rural hospitals have lost some services, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. (Jacob/Adobe Stock)

Rural Nebraska Faces Outsized Impact of Governor's Budget Vetoes

Rural Nebraska could lose on two fronts if two of Gov. Jim Pillen's budget vetoes are allowed to stand. Pillen struck down a second year of …

Drew Gerken is founder of The Furniture Project and an Omaha firefighter. (Photo courtesy of The Furniture Project)

Nonprofit Provides Furniture to Refugees, Others in Need

An Omaha nonprofit fills a unique need for people transitioning from a multitude of difficult situations. The Furniture Project has grown from …

A 2021 housing affordability study found a decent two-bedroom apartment in the Omaha and Council Bluffs market would require a minimum wage of $19 an hour, more than many essential jobs in the area pay. (Adobe Stock)

ARPA Funds to Build Affordable Housing in Omaha-Council Bluffs

More affordable housing is coming to a Nebraska market that really needs it. An Omaha nonprofit has partnered with the City of Omaha, and was …

Western Nebraska is home to food deserts, where there is no easy way to get good, healthy food regularly, which disproportionately impact seniors in rural areas. (Adobe Stock)

Reimagining Ways to Get Struggling Nebraska Families Back on Track

With a new legislative session on the horizon and new legislators after the November elections, the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska is bringing …

The 11% decline in the number of homeless veterans from 2020 to 2022 is the biggest in more than five years. (Adobe Stock)

NE Follows National Trend of Reducing Homelessness Among Veterans

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness nationwide has decreased 11% since 2020, and a similar improvement has been observed in Nebraska…

Nebraska lawmakers improved conditions for low-income families during the pandemic by expanding eligibility for SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, and providing support for child care. Both initiatives are set to sunset next year. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska Ranks First Nationally in Child Economic Well-Being

Nebraska ranks first in the nation when it comes to promoting children's economic well-being, a significant indicator under the spotlight in the …

A minimum-wage worker can afford $468 in rent per month, but market-rate one-bedrooms rent for at least $695 a month. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers Call for Coordinated Effort to Fix Affordable-Housing Crisis

Nebraska is not immune to decades of disinvestment in affordable housing, and a new measure making its way through the Legislature would create a …

Children who have reliable access to housing and nutritious foods are more likely to have better health and financial outcomes. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska Denies Emergency Assistance to 90% of Poor Families

Nebraska and other states are hoarding more than $5 billion intended for struggling families, according to new analysis. In 2019, for every 100 …

As families are warned to stay home to stay healthy, many Nebraskans face homelessness. (Adobe Stock)

Families Face Winter Evictions Across Nebraska

Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium expired in August, eviction court filings in Nebraska are on the rise…

A medida que se advierte a las familias que se queden en casa para mantenerse saludables, muchos habitantes de Nebraska se enfrentan a la falta de vivienda. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Familias enfrentan desalojos de invierno en Nebraska

Dado que la moratoria de evicciones de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades expiró en agosto, las solicitudes de …

Between two and four years after aging out of foster care, 46% of young people had not finished high school, 51% were unemployed and 84% became parents. (Adobe Stock)

Resources for Foster Youths During Holidays

OMAHA, Neb. -- Some 24,000 teenagers in foster care across the nation officially become adults each year; in Nebraska it happens on their 19th …

Raise the Wage Nebraska's goal is to collect 130,000 signatures across communities in Nebraska. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Nebraska Voters Asked to Raise Minimum Wage, Again

LINCOLN, Neb. - A coalition of Nebraska community organizations and supporters are collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would raise the …

Permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit is projected to lift as many as half of the nation's children in low-income families out of poverty. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Nebraska's Families of Color Hit Hardest by Pandemic

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska as a whole is performing well for families with children, ranked seventh in the nation overall, according to the Annie E…

In Nebraska, the homeownership rate for Latino residents is 42%, compared with 70% for non-Latino white residents. (SOS Wildlife Control)

Home Loan Program Aims to Boost Rural Economies

LYONS, Neb. -- Homeownership remains out of reach for many hard-working Nebraska families because of stagnant wages and lack of access to traditional …

None of Coca-Cola's top executives met their bonus targets last year, but all received bonuses, even as the company announced plans to cut some 2,200 jobs. (Pixabay)<br /><br />

Corporations Expanded CEO-Worker Pay Gap During Pandemic

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Many of the nation's largest low-wage employers, including FedEx, Tyson Foods, Walgreens and other brands familiar to Nebraskans…

Medicaid has provided health-care coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income Nebraskans, helping children in Nebraska succeed in school. (Pixabay)

Officials Urged: Get More Nebraskans Health Coverage During Pandemic

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Health advocates are working with the new Legislature and state agencies to strengthen and streamline Nebraska's Medicaid program…

Nebraskans who lost jobs through no fault of their own because of the coronavirus pandemic are posting their stories at 'essentialnebraska.com.' (Coalition for a Strong Nebraska)

Web Platform Shares Struggling Nebraskans' Stories with Lawmakers

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska's 107th Legislature kicked off yesterday, and a coalition of some 100 nonprofits have launched a new online portal to …

Advocates want lawmakers to prioritize children's physical and mental health by guaranteeing that COVID vaccines will be available without cost. (Pixabay)

Nebraska Children, Families Continue to Struggle with COVID Recovery

OMAHA, Neb. -- Families in Nebraska are struggling to meet their basic needs during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new Annie E. Casey …

Demand for food assistance in Nebraska has spiked during COVID-19, with Omaha's Together drive-through food pantry serving some 250 cars daily. (Wikimedia Commons)

Food Pantries Bracing for Holidays, Colder Weather

OMAHA, Neb. -- The number of Nebraskans not sure where their next meal would come from was on the decline in 2019, but that was before the …

The U.S. Census Bureau provides translated web pages and guides in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, as well as guides in Braille and large print. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Window Tightens for Getting Accurate Census Count in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. -- As the Trump administration works to end the U.S. Census Bureau's once-a-decade tally required by the U.S. Constitution one month …

Nearly 30 million Americans currently are receiving unemployment insurance. The previous high, during the Great Recession, was roughly 12 million. (Needpix)

Economists Urge Extension of Fed Unemployment Boost

LINCOLN, Neb. - If Congress does not extend enhanced unemployment benefits - the $600 per week meant to help Americans who lost jobs due to the novel …

Bus Rapid Transit lines have helped transform communities across the globe, boosting local economies. (Adam Coppola Photography/Flickr)

ORBT Could Bring Age-Friendly Housing Options for Omaha Residents

OMAHA, Neb. -- The city of Omaha is expanding its public transit service, and if it adopts a proposed Transit Oriented Development policy, …

Use of programs including Medicaid, SNAP and Section 8 public housing will factor into the determination by immigration officials of who gets a green card. (Wikimedia Commons)

Public Charge Policy Could Threaten Health Care for Nebraska Kids

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Trump administration has finalized a new rule that could deny green cards to immigrants if they access public benefits - …

In 2017, 546 Nebraska children were adopted from foster care. The average length of time spent in foster care before adoption was just over 31 months. (Pixabay)

Children's Advocates Tap Big Data for Lawmakers in Washington

LINCOLN, Neb. – Officials from child welfare agencies in Nebraska and across the country are headed to Washington this month to exchange hard-…

Currently, Nebraska workers can be fired from their jobs or lose housing because of to their sexual orientation or gender status. (Pexels)

NE Organization Expands Statewide to Counter LGBT Discrimination

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Lincoln-based group Out Nebraska has a new leader and is expanding its work for LGBTQ rights across the state. Abbi …

Communities that have joined AARP's age-friendly network work to adopt features � including creating safer, walkable streets � to make towns and cities more livable for people of all ages. (Hugo Chisholm/Flickr)

Grand Island First in State to Join AARP's Livability Network

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Grand Island is the first city in Nebraska to join AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Tonja Brown …

Some Nebraska families are just a couple of paychecks away from facing challenges associated with homelessness. (Don Hankins/Flickr)

Memorials Set for Homeless Lost in 2018

OMAHA, Neb. — Services are planned this week to honor 87 people, including 11 veterans, who died this year while experiencing homelessness in …

Immigrants applying for SNAP benefits for their U.S. citizen children do not have to provide agencies with their personal immigration status. (Public Domain Pictures)

"Public Charge" Proposal Already Affecting Nebraska Kids

OMAHA, Neb. – With a Dec. 10 deadline for public comments just around the corner, immigrants' rights groups say they're hoping Nebraskans will …

Many young people living in foster care get bounced from home to home, which disrupts their relationships with family, friends and counselors and can make it harder to graduate from high school. (Pixabay)

Report: Nebraska Struggling to Help Foster Youths Transition to Adulthood

LINCOLN, Neb. – Young adults who experienced foster care in Nebraska are struggling as they transition to adulthood, according to a new report …

Defensores de las clases de justicia restaurativa dicen que al escuchar directamente en voz de sus v�ctimas, quienes cometieron cr�menes pueden comprender mejor la dimensi�n del da�o que han causado. (Bimblebury/Wikimedia Commons)

Las clases de Justicia Restaurativa reducen costos de encarcelamiento

LINCOLN, Neb. – Un nuevo abordaje en la justicia criminal de Nebraska, que consiste en ver el problema desde fuera, está ayudando a …

In Nebraska, 16,000 fewer kids live in poverty in 2016 than in 2010, and the state ranked 8th nationally in children's education. (AECF)

Nebraska Scores 9th in New National Rankings for Child Well-Being

OMAHA, Neb. – Nebraska continues to be a great place to be a kid. The state made the top ten best states for children's well-being in the 2018 …

A report says consumers of color continue to depend on higher-cost, government-backed mortgages. (American Advisors Group/Flickr)

Report: Most Conventional Home Loans Going to White Americans

LINCOLN, Neb. – Achieving the American dream often comes down to access to capital, and a new report finds that racial disparities continue …

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NE: Housing/Homelessness