Date: March 11, 2026 To: Chairman Lewis and members of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee From:   Erica Robbins, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower Missouri Re: Support for HB 2722 Empower Missouri believes a Missouri without homelessness is possible. We are the largest anti-poverty advocacy organization in the state and have been advocating...Lee mas

Date: March 5, 2026 To: Chairman Casteel and members of the House Commerce Committee From:  Erica Robbins, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower Missouri Re: Support for HB 3230 Empower Missouri believes a Missouri without homelessness is possible. We convene a statewide coalition supporting the advancement of evidence-based public policy to increase the availability of affordable...Lee mas

Date: February 24, 2026 To: Committee Chair Representative Gallick, and members of the House Economic Development Committee  From:  Erica Robbins, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower Missouri Re: Support for HB 1716 Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri is the largest anti-poverty advocacy organization in the state and for 125 years, we have worked diligently to create...Lee mas

Date: February 11, 2026 To: Chairman Hinman and Members, Local Government Committee From: Erica Robbins, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower Missouri Re: Support for HB 2898 Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri is the largest anti-poverty advocacy organization in the state. As part of our work, we organize a statewide Affordable Housing Coalition. This coalition is...Lee mas

Homelessness is in the news again as communities across Missouri conduct a one-day “point-in-time count,” a brief snapshot of individuals experiencing homelessness throughout our state. While it is too early to know the trends for all of Missouri, it is clear from initial reports that many Missourians are still struggling with homelessness. The most effective...Lee mas

Date: January 28, 2026To: Committee Chair Senator Ben Brown, and members of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development CommitteeFrom: Erica Robbins, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: Support for SB 1105 Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri is the largest anti-poverty advocacy organization in the state. As part of our work, we convene a statewide Affordable...Lee mas

Advocate (n.) a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy (rhymes with kit)  Advocate (v.) publicly recommend or support (rhymes with ate)  The term advocate (both pronunciations! 🙂) piqued my interest and became an integral piece of my vocabulary one random day during a Nutrition for Health class inside the Scully...Lee mas