This past week Empower Missouri held its Annual Week of Action. In addition to 3 virtual days, this year we were able to be back in the Capitol for the first time in over 2 years! It was so good to be back.  On each of our virtual days attendees were able to learn about...Lee mas

Last week, I offered testimony against a pair of bills in the Missouri House and Senate aimed at reducing homelessness. I first celebrated with the sponsors and the committee members that the Missouri legislature should be doing more to address our neighbors who live outside; homelessness is an untenable situation that is below the dignity...Lee mas

Matthew Desmond describes eviction as both a cause and a condition of poverty. What does that mean, and how should Missouri respond? First, it is important to understand that there are different forms of legal eviction in our state. If a tenant damages the property, breaks the law, or violates the lease (say, by having...Lee mas

For months, Empower Missouri and our allies in Missouri have been urging our federal representatives to pass the Build Back Better Act, an opportunity to make historic investments for our neighbors with low incomes. Last week, Congress passed what we hope to be a final version of the bill. It includes targeted investments to reduce...Lee mas

Homelessness and poverty are not crimes. However, in many communities across Missouri, it is treated like one. Police involvement in the form of ‘camp sweeps’ is often the method used to move people who are houseless out of the areas they have made their home. Springfield, Missouri can be used as a case study for...Lee mas

Legal scholars and housing advocates alike have been watching the CDC eviction moratorium closely. I’ll let the lawyers work their own theories on whether the court cases will end up supporting the moratorium or will overturn it because the CDC doesn’t have that type of authority. As for housing advocates, we know that keeping people...Lee mas

The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have underscored the need for a strong housing safety net in the United States. COVID-19 was an economic catastrophe for many households precisely because so many already could not afford their homes and because the pre-pandemic housing assistance programs were not properly funded. The National Low Income Housing...Lee mas

Para poder pagar un modesto apartamento de dos habitaciones a un precio de mercado justo en Missouri, los trabajadores de tiempo completo deben ganar $16.66 por hora. Este es el salario de vivienda 2021 de Missouri, revelado en un informe nacional publicado hoy. El informe, Out of Reach, fue publicado conjuntamente por la Coalición Nacional de Vivienda para Personas con Bajos Ingresos (NLIHC), una investigación y defensa ...Lee mas

Desde la fundación de Estados Unidos, nuestra constitución ha sido un documento guía importante para el país y cada estado. La Declaración de Derechos demuestra una justicia fundamental que debe aplicarse a todos los miembros del sistema judicial. Si bien es evidente que hubo algunos defectos importantes, incluida esa laguna gigante que permitió la esclavitud de seres humanos, ...Lee mas

En 2018, organizaciones de todo el país como Empower Missouri comenzaron a elevar la conversación sobre viviendas asequibles. Queríamos que la vivienda fuera un tema importante en las elecciones presidenciales de 2020 y lo logramos. Los candidatos hablaron sobre la política de vivienda asequible en cada debate y fueron presionados para publicar planes de política de vivienda. Todo este trabajo preliminar de ...Lee mas