As a state legislator for nearly six years and a lifelong New Orleanian, Matthew Willard is well aware of the struggles residents face on a daily basis. From broken street lights and torn-up streets to blighted properties and a fraught permitting system, he’s watched businesses close and people leave the city altogether.
New Orleans’ population declined by more than 39,000 people between 2020 and 2024, the Census Bureau estimated last year.
“If you want me to show you a community that’s not doing well, [I’ll show you] a community that’s hemorrhaging population,” he says…