Louisiana Appleseed, along with project partners, seek to address the racial and ethnic wealth gap in Louisiana and find solutions to reduce household debt in communities of color.
Legal Partners:
Polsinelli
Community Partners:
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Voice of the Experienced
Louisiana Language Access Coalition
Louisiana State Bar Association
Louisiana Budget Project
The two project areas are barriers to financial stability which cause significant economic injustice and result in a racial and ethnic wealth gap: (1) the use of high-cost financial products, such as payday and auto title lending, by communities of color; and (2) harmful debt incurred by communities of color due to court fines and fees. Louisiana Appleseed worked with partner organizations to examine the harmful effects that debt has on low-income community members. This report led to advocacy to help those burdened by court fines and fees and payday loans.