“Justice Has No Timetable; It Just Has a Destination”

The 2020 General Election has come and gone, although the vote counting and legal actions over a variety of issues are apt to continue for…

2024 Session Draws to a Close with Historically Low Bill Passage

On Friday, the 2024 Missouri Legislative Session closed with little fanfare, a fitting end to a session where little work was accomplished. The legislation passed…

A Clean Slate Will Offer Thousands of Missourians Better Access to Safe, Affordable Housing

Among Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are the lowest and arguably most important necessities humans require to exist; physiological needs. These include basic essentials such as…

A Home for All, Not Just Those That Can Afford It: How Gentrification Has Given Way to a New Generation of Community Organizers

First coined by sociologist Ruth Glass in the 1960s, gentrification has been part of the lexicon for those working in both economics and the affordable…

A Second Chance Must Include Safe, Affordable Housing

A fresh start after being released from prison and becoming a returning citizen should be an amazing feeling; however, that isn’t the case for many…

A Week of Activism in the Capitol

In 2017, Empower Missouri’s annual conference theme was Persisting and Organizing to Win. During the week of February 10, 2020, coalitions staffed by Empower Missouri…

Action Alert! Oppose House Bill 595

Action Alert! Oppose House Bill 595

Addressing the Affordable Housing Crisis with the Housing Trust Fund

Missouri has a severe affordable housing shortage. Our partners at the National Low Income Housing Coalition show 72% of very low income households in Missouri…

Addressing the Crisis of Homelessness in Missouri

In many ways, housing advocacy should be easy. Everyone needs housing to thrive, therefore it should be as easily attainable as possible. However in reality,…

Affordable Housing Coalition Makes Progress In Improving, Reinstituting LIHTC Program

In 2019, the Affordable Housing Coalition identified the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) as a key issue to target. While flawed, this program is…

Affordable Housing is Out of Reach for Missourians

In order to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Missouri, full-time workers need to earn $16.00 per hour. This is Missouri’s…

Affordable Housing is Out of Reach for Too Many Missouri Households

How much would a person have to earn to afford rent and utilities on a modest 2 bedroom apartment in Missouri today? According to this…

Affordable Housing Is Out Of Reach In Missouri For Low-Wage Workers

In order to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Missouri, full-time workers need to earn $16.66 per hour. This is Missouri’s…

Affordable Housing is Out of Reach in Missouri for Workers With Low Wages

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)…..In order to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Missouri, full-time workers need to earn $16.07 per hour. This…

Affordable Housing Is Still Out of Reach for Many Missourians, But The President’s Infrastructure Plan May Help Solve The State’s Housing Crisis

Over one year after the start of the global pandemic, we are still learning of the devastating impacts COVID-19 has had on our society. One…

Another government shutdown is on the horizon. You can help us avoid it.

To my ear, “sequester” is a lovely word. Despite what the dictionary says about its synonyms like segregate, seclude and withdraw or its chemical meaning…

Anxiety Increases Among Everyday Missourians, Yet U.S. Senate Takes Its August Recess

Since Empower Missouri’s focus is on securing basic human needs and equal justice for every person in our state, we receive quite a few calls…

As Missouri COVID-19 Cases Continue To Rise, Federal Leaders Need To Step Up To Protect Communities

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)…On September 15th, Empower Missouri and the Coalition on Human Needs released a new report showing Missouri is losing ground against the coronavirus.…

Building Power in Community – Tenant Unions, Organizations, and Associations

As we continue to see rising rental costs and the highest level of inflation seen in 40 years, millions of renters nationwide are increasingly struggling…

Capitol Recap: We Still Have A Chance To Pass Priority Legislation in 2021

The legislature is taking their annual Spring Break this week, which is widely considered to be “halftime” of the legislative session. We’ve spent the last…

Citing Public Health Concerns in COVID-19 Pandemic, Organizations Call for Moratorium on Utility Disconnections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2020 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO)…Citing the need to “protect the health and safety of the general public during the ever-worsening COVID-19…

Community Land Trusts: An Affordable Housing Solution?

America is in the midst of an epidemic. Rising home prices has increased the prices of rental properties, creating a general lack of affordable housing…

Congratulations to our 2024 Advocacy Award Honorees

The 2024 legislative session is nearing the finish line, and with that will come a chance to celebrate what we have accomplished this year. At…

Connection, Learning and Progress: The 2024 Week of Action

It was a busy but inspiring week for Empower Missouri: our 2024 Week of Action! Throughout the week we offered three virtual training sessions (recordings…

Deepening Our Commitment to Building Power Together

A Brief Overview of America’s Housing Crisis in 2023 The scale of America’s housing crisis, like everything else these days, is unprecedented. The most recent…

Embracing Aging: Missouri’s Master Plan on Aging

Missouri’s aging population is expected to rise very quickly over the next decade, mirroring a historic demographic shift occurring across the United States. Currently, one…

Empower Missouri Delivers Letter Encouraging Re-Institution of Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) statewide match

Jefferson City, MO — On February 20th, 2020, Empower Missouri, along with more than 100 other individuals and organizations, signed and delivered a letter to…

Empower Missouri files public comments for disparate impact rule

Public comment letters are an increasingly effective tool in legislative advocacy at the federal level, with advocates across the country utilizing this format as a…

Empower Missouri Holds Virtual Week of Action To Mobilize United Action On Legislative Bills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19th, 2021 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO)...Empower Missouri and its network of supporters in Missouri will be joining in a coordinated Week of…

Empower Missouri Praises the Missouri Housing Development Commission on Its Decision to Re-Institute Low Income Housing Tax Credit

(Jefferson City, MO)…Empower Missouri is applauding the decision by the Parson Administration to bring back Missouri’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to increase…

Empower Missouri’s Statement on Missouri Supreme Court Decision in Byrd v. State of Missouri

On Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned HB 1606, a bill with language that Empower Missouri advocated against during the 2022 session. Our advocacy, among…

Empower Missouri’s Statement on the SCOTUS ruling in Johnson v City of Grants Pass

Empower Missouri condemns the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruling in Johnson v the City of Grants Pass. The heart of the case…

Empowering You April 2019 Newsletter

Read and download the full Newsletter below, or choose a specific story from the list.

Empowering You Newsletter | July 2019

Click the image below to view a downloadable .pdf of our July newsletter.

Empowering You Newsletter | June 2019

Empowering You September Newsletter

The September Empowering You Newsletter can be downloaded by clicking on the thumbnail below, and you can explore it's contents by clicking on any of…

Eviction Conversation Must Include Affordable Housing Stock

This week I was honored to sit in Hearing Room 5 with some really stellar housing organizers as we offered testimony against House Bill (HB)…

Eviction Moratoria: Vitaly Important During Extreme Crises and States of Emergency

Issued and enforced during rare and extreme instances of community-wide crises and emergency, eviction moratoria (plural of moratorium) are a short term intervention federal, state…

Eviction, Utility Shutoff Moratoriums Can Slow COVID-19 Spread. Missouri needs them.

While Missouri hasn’t had a unified plan to tamp down the spread of COVID-19 in our state, municipalities have put in place many different response…

Evictions and Homelessness: Exploring Right to Counsel and Mandatory Mediation as Policy Interventions

Evictions are one of the more visible symptoms of the compounding issues plaguing housing as we know it today, most glaringly the housing affordability crisis…

Fighting Homelessness Criminalization: Access to Affordable Housing is the Right Choice for Missouri

In 2024, 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States—an 18% increase from 2023. This is almost 1 million people without homes. And while…

Forty Percent of Missourians Have Lost Income in Pandemic: U.S. Senate Must Stop Abandoning Them, Take Action NOW

On September 10, the U.S. Senate took up and failed to pass a $650 billion package of relief for our nation of 331 million people,…

Gearing up for the 2024 Legislative Session

It seems hard to believe that we’re only a month away from the start of a new year, and a new legislative session. Pre-filing opens…

Gov. Mike Parson Must Act Now to Protect the Most Vulnerable Missourians

As a statewide advocacy organization, Empower Missouri is keeping an eye on what the state is doing or not doing regarding the issues we work…

Homelessness in Missouri: An Overview of Housing First

Last week Misha taught us about different types of housing provisions that are available for various populations who are experiencing homelessness. One of the biggest…

Homelessness in Missouri: The Criminalization of Poverty and Homelessness, A Human Rights Crisis

Homelessness is a widespread issue affecting both rural and urban communities across the United States, with over 650,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night,…

Homelessness in Missouri: What Housing Programs are Available?

As homeless rates increase across the United States, it has become a policy focus across all levels of government. The most important place to start…

Homelessness: a profound assault on dignity, social inclusion and the right to life.

“Homelessness is a profound assault on dignity, social inclusion and the right to life. It is a prima facie violation of the right to housing…

Housing First Hasn’t Had a Fair Shot in Missouri – You Can’t Shovel While It’s Still Snowing

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…

Housing is the Key

Empower Missouri’s Affordable Housing Coalition, a multi-disciplinary team that was formed after our 2018 annual conference, met last week in Columbia to begin articulating clear…

How we’re working to increase affordable housing in Missouri in 2020

Empower Missouri’s Affordable Housing Coalition recently released their 2020 legislative priorities. You can read it here. Some things on the list are very straight forward,…

If You’re A Tenant Getting Evicted In Missouri, You May Have Legal Grounds To Fight It

Since the founding of America, our constitution has been an important guiding document for the country and each state. The Bill of Rights demonstrates a…

Incarceration Cannot Be Our Solution For Solving Homelessness

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’…

Join our Campaign to Increase Funding to the Missouri Housing Trust Fund

Land Banks: One Solution for Addressing the Affordable Housing Crisis in Missouri 

Last year, Vee Sanchez, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, provided an excellent overview of land banks and how they can be a part of the solution…

Legislative Session Update

The major take-away for me from the 2019 Legislative Session is the importance of working in coalition with others for evidence-based public policies. Empower Missouri…

Lessons Learned: Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit 2021

Since 1901, the pinnacle of Empower Missouri’s work each year has been its Annual Conference. In fact, for the first decade, that was the bulk…

Let Local Governments Protect Renters in Their Communities

If you’re like me, you weren’t familiar with the term ‘preemption’ before the 2024 legislative session (or maybe you’re still not familiar with this concept).…

Long-term Investments Are Needed in Affordable Housing To Help Missouri’s Struggling Communities

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…

Looking Forward to 2023

As we wrap up the year, we’re already deep into planning for the next legislative session that starts in January. Our December Friday Forum covered…

Majority Leader McConnell’s Plan Doesn’t Meet Needs of Families in Missouri

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)……After more than two months of delay, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Caucus have finally released their proposal for the next round…

McConnell’s HEALS Act Falls Far Short Of Relief Struggling Missourians Need

TAKE ACTION NOW After more than two months of delay, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Caucus have finally released their proposal for the next…

Meeting the Needs of Our Communities with Land Banks

Missouri is short of nearly 115,000 affordable and available housing units needed to meet the housing needs of Extremely Low Income Missouri families. Of these…

Minimum Wage is on the Ballot in Missouri: Key Points to Consider

As an organization dedicated to securing basic human needs for all Missourians through policy change, Empower Missouri supports living wages for our state’s workers. On…

Missouri could make housing policy more fair – here’s how

Our neighbors who don’t have adequate resources to meet their basic needs often rely on state and federal programs for assistance. When it comes to…

Missouri Falls Short In Providing an Adequate Supply of Rental Housing For The State’s Poorest Renters

The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s newly released report, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes 2021, finds a housing shortage of over 122,000 affordable…

Missouri Legislature Wraps: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

It’s the third week of May, which means that you’re hearing crickets from hundreds of lobbyists and advocates across the state who are taking a…

Missouri Needs Food and Housing Assistance NOW!

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal lawmakers have passed multiple pieces of legislation to provide emergency relief and enhance the economy. Within those first…

New Voices, Bold Action: Welcoming the 2025 Housing Justice Fellows

At Empower Missouri, we believe in the power of ordinary people organizing for extraordinary change. Our Housing Justice Fellowship (HJF) is designed to bring that…

Our Advocacy Awards Brunch Honored Leaders in Our Fight

Last Saturday, June 11th, Empower Missouri supporters, coalition members, staff and other guests gathered at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis to honor our…

Pandemic and Recession Batter Missouri; Your Help Is Essential To Progress for Justice

Empower Missouri has fought for all Missourians to have basic human needs and equal justice since 1901, and there have undoubtedly been many challenges to…

President Biden and Governor Parson Must Do More To Protect Missouri Renters 

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…

Press Release: Missouri Poised to Cement Landlords’ Right to Discriminate Against the Poor Into State Law

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - 11 March 2025 — On Monday, March 10, HB 595 was passed by Missouri’s Senate Committee on Local Government, Elections, and…

Recapping the 2022 Legislative Session

We knew going into the legislative session that it would be a wild year. Unfortunately, wild years where very little gets done has become the…

Sign on to Tell Federal Lawmakers to include Crucial Additional Aid in Next COVID-19 Package

Even though the final two weeks of the 2020 Legislative Session tempts us to focus all attention on Jefferson City just now, social justice advocates…

State Lawmakers Must Immediately Begin To Work on Legislation That Will Protect Missourians

Missouri lawmakers returned to the Capitol in Jefferson City on January 6th with challenges posed by an ongoing pandemic. The Missouri legislative session began at…

Stop Taxing our Most Vulnerable Neighbors Out of Their Homes-Update Missouri’s Circuit Breaker Tax Credit Now! 

In 2022, we saw the worst inflation in nearly 40 years. Inflation, rising property taxes and rising rents are leaving many of our neighbors, particularly…

Structural oppression in housing and how you can help

42 days to make your voice heard for housing justice.  The housing segregation with which we are all living was purposefully designed and codified in…

Tenant Voices – Darlene’s Story

Darlene S. has faced challenges in housing her entire life, but things have gotten progressively harder in recent years. After experiencing two evictions, the most…

Tenant Voices – Jessi’s Story

On the Edge: A Single Mother’s Fight in the Housing Crisis Jessi has experienced both the highs and lows of housing, finding temporary stability only…

Tenant Voices – Kai’s Story

A Voice for Justice: Kai’s Fight Against Discrimination and Housing Injustice Kai's story is shaped by a childhood marked by poverty and later battles against…

Testimony – Our Support for Re-envisioning the Workhouse

Date: April 4th, 2024To: Chair Narayan, and members of the Public Safety Committee - City of St. LouisFrom: Eric Reiter, Community Justice Practicum Intern, Empower…

Testimony in Opposition to Banning Eviction Moratoria

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 Housing…

Testimony in Opposition to HB 1435, HB 1804 and HB 2541

Date: February 7th, 2024To: Chairman Bromley and members of the Utilities CommitteeFrom: Trina Ragain, Lead Policy Strategist, Empower MissouriRe: Opposition to HB 1435, HB 1804…

Testimony in Opposition to HB 2062 – Banning Eviction Moratoria

Date: March 12, 2024To: Chairman Brown and members of the Senate Emerging Issues CommitteeFrom: Misha Smith, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: Opposition to HB…

Testimony in Opposition to HB 595 & SB 507 – Allowing Source of Income Discrimination

Date: March 3rd, 2025 To: Sen. Rusty Black, Chair, and members of the Local Government, Elections, and Pensions CommitteeFrom: Misha Smith, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower…

Testimony in Opposition to SB 1336 – Criminalizing Homelessness

Date: March 13, 2024To: Chairwoman Mary Elizabeth Coleman & Members, Senate Health & Welfare CommitteeFrom: Sarah Owsley, Advocacy Director, and Empower Missouri StaffRe: Opposition to…

Testimony in Opposition to the Preemption of Source of Income Discrimination Bans

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 Housing…

Testimony in Opposition to the Preemption of Source of Income Discrimination Bans

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 Housing…

Testimony in Support of HB 2065 – Land Bank Agency Authorization

Date: February 13th, 2024To: Rep. Falkner, Chair, and Members, House Committee on Local GovernmentFrom: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower MissouriRe: Support for HB 2065 Founded…

Testimony in Support of HB 245 – The Workforce Housing Investment Fund in Rural Communities

Date: March 5th, 2025 To: Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, Chair, and members of the Special Committee on   Rural IssuesFrom: Misha Smith, Affordable Housing Policy Manager,…

Testimony in Support of SB 64 – The Circuit Breaker Tax Credit

Date: February 19, 2025 To: Chairman Brown and Members, Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee From: Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, Chief of Policy Staff, Empower Missouri Re:…

Testimony in Support of SB 750

Date: January 16th, 2024 To: Chairman Brown and Members, Emerging Issues Committee From: Trina Ragain, Lead Policy Strategist, Empower Missouri Re: Support for SB 750…

Testimony in Support of SB 822 – The Circuit Breaker Tax Credit

Date: February 12th, 2024To: Chairman Hoskins and Members, Senate Economic Development and Tax PolicyFrom: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower MissouriRe: Our support for SB 822…

The 2020 Legislative Session has begun

Each year as Legislative Session begins, there is a lot of “crystal ball gazing” in our state capital. The rumors come fast and furious, and…

The Biden Administration Must Prioritize Affordable Housing In Its Infrastructure Package

In 2018, organizations across the country like Empower Missouri started to elevate the conversation around affordable housing. We wanted housing to be a major issue…

The Build Back Better Act Will Give Thousands Of Missourians With Low Income More Access To Affordable Housing

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…

The Gap Report is Clear – We Need More Affordable Housing

The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s newly released report, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, documents a shortage of 7 million affordable and available…

The Lasting Impact of Racist Housing Policies

As I look around the neighborhood I live in, I see mostly faces that look like mine. The same is likely true for the neighborhoods…

The National Low-Income Housing Coalition’s Report is Clear: Affordable Housing Is A Public Health Issue

COVID-19 provides a stark reminder that affordable housing is a public health issue as well as a moral imperative. When households cannot afford their rent,…

The Need for Emergency Rental Assistance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

There is no doubt, we are in unprecedented times. The federal government has passed three significant coronavirus response bills. Included in these packages have been…

The Rent is too Damn High!

While the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in financial instability and economic hardship for many households, unprecedented supports – including a national emergency rental assistance program and…

Tsunami of Evictions Projected; Our Immediate Advocacy Is Crucially Important

It is no surprise to anyone I interact with, but I really love data. In college, I had a professor thank me for always coming…

U.S. Senate Should Get #backtowork to Honor Labor Day; Missouri Needs Robust Coronavirus Relief NOW

Labor Day is at the top of my “Most Hypocritical Holiday Observance” list. On most holidays, large numbers of people take some action that is…

Victims of Violence are Not a Nuisance

Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, based on a book by the same name written by Celeste Ng, does a wonderful job looking at systematic issues our…

We Can Solve The Housing Crisis By Passing The Build Back Better Act

Empower Missouri has been saying it for years: Homelessness in the United States is a solvable crisis. It is unacceptable that our neighbors work full…

We’re hitting the Road! Empower Missouri is Spending Our Summer Traveling The State Talking About Anti-Poverty Public Policy

I often describe myself as a grassroots organizer at my core. I really believe that there is no ethical way to advocate for legislative changes…

Weekly Perspective March 15th, 2019

The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s newly released report, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes 2019, finds a housing shortage of nearly seven million affordable…

Welcome our Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Misha Smith

I am so grateful to be a part of the Empower Missouri policy team as the newest Affordable Housing Policy Manager. I have been involved…

Welcoming our First Cohort of the Housing Justice Fellowship

Early this month we launched our first Housing Justice Fellowship, in partnership with Springfield Tenants Unite. For our pilot cohort, we brought together 12 tenants…

What is disparate impact, and how does it affect Missouri?

In August 2019, Empower Missouri’s Executive Director, Jeanette Mott Oxford, offered testimony in a special hearing on Criminal Justice. “I think sometimes we wish we…

What is TANF?

TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, is a federal cash assistance program for low income families with children that provides for basic needs. Families…

When Political Spin Becomes Gaslighting: The Necessity of Truth-Telling in Policy Advocacy

In recent days, some very troubling developments have happened in federal government that threaten to deepen the level of policy violence already happening to racial…

Winter Utility Disconnection Moratorium Needed To Protect Public Health; Add Your Voice Today

As we first shared with you on November 20, Empower Missouri has been convening community groups since late October to seek a way to prevent…

Winter Weather Adds New Survival Challenges For Missourians Struggling with Pandemic, Recession

As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, advocates from Empower Missouri and several ally organizations have been meeting weekly to discuss what we can…

Wrapping Up the 2023 Legislative Session

The 2023 legislative session will end today at 6PM, so there’s only a few hours remaining for the legislature to pass any final bills before…

Your Donation Matters To Help Support Our Mission To Fight For Basic Human Needs and Equal Justice For All Missourians

Empower Missouri has fought for all Missourians to have basic human needs and equal justice since 1901, and there have undoubtedly been many challenges to…