With the end of the first quarter of 2023 upon us, now is the perfect opportunity to review what the Alliance/Chamber SWLA Economic Development team has been doing in the five parish area.

For starters, we have identified broadband as an important investment for education and business development in our region.

As a result, we partnered with SOWELA Technical Community College to plan and promote fiber optic training courses which will lead to certification. This action is important because the Fiber Broadband Association estimates that 60
percent of current installers are over the age of 40. By the year 2025, the United States will need 205,000 fiber installers.

It is critical to have enough installers in order to provide critical broadband infrastructure to our rural communities.

The Alliance/Chamber SWLA is also working with Allen Parish and Crest Natural Resources officials to certify a piece of property.

We are also advocating for industry partners as they present projects to local governing bodies in order to request approval for the Industrial Tax Exemption Program. 

The agency has worked with Jeff Davis Parish and Rail Logics officials to give BNSF a familiarization tour of all sites the railroad company serves. Along with that action, our team has met with KCS Railroad to discuss future opportunities. We spoke at the Calcasieu Parish Zoning Board to address a zoning variance requested by Sprint Rail partners on property owned in the Westlake area.

Lastly, our economic development office has been busy responding to potential companies looking for an area to build. So far, we have had 22 requests for inquiries along with 11 locally generated contacts which have resulted in four site visits.

There are many positive actions related to economic development within the five-parish area. There are some challenges that our team wants to address to make sure the region remains competitive and wins more.

Economic Development Challenges

Our first challenge is the need for more water and sewer infrastructure in our certified site inventory. Much of our water and sewer infrastructure is at the end of its operational life. Aging infrastructure is a fact of life, especially in the rural part of the
region. Our area is not the only one to contend with water and sewer infrastructure issues. This is a national problem. But we must invest in new infrastructure to keep our area attractive to new business opportunities. Infrastructure will help meet capacity
needs for current and future. 

The lack of affordable housing in Southwest Louisiana has been documented. Our region has suffered a loss in housing units due to natural disasters since 2020. 

Lake Charles has the densest population of renters in the area. The United States Census found that approximately one-half of city residents rent which is well above the state and national average of one-third.

Rent prices in the region have also risen. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported the average rent for a two-bedroom unit, including utilities, was $712 per month. In 2021, rent increased to $869 per month.

The impact of increased rental prices is exacerbated by stagnant wages. In 2020 the United Way of SWLA found that two-third of jobs in the area paid less than $20 an hour.  Data-Center, a New Orleans based nonprofit, found that one-quarter of renters in Calcasieu Parish spent more than half of their pre-tax income on rent and utilities. In order for our region to grow its workforce, we need affordable housing.

SWLA is a wonderful place to live, grow and prosper. No local in the country can boast over 100 billion in economic development growth, even with natural disasters impacting our people. The Alliance/Chamber SWLA will continue working to make sure our story of success is told in order to entice even more investment. 

We are Southwest Louisiana strong!