Across rural Missouri, tenants face moldy ceilings, unfair rent hikes, and investor landlords that benefit from no one pushing back. But when neighbors get organized, they can win repairs, stop harassment, and make housing safer and more affordable for everyone.  Empower Missouri created “Standing Together: A Simple Guide to Tenant Organizing in Small Towns and...Read More

“We Are Here to Stay”: The Fight for Cedarwood & Rosewood Tenants Jami has spent her life fighting for dignity in a world that often seems to forget people like her. Born with spinal muscular dystrophy and diagnosed at the age of four, doctors predicted she wouldn’t survive beyond five years old. But Jami defied...Read More

Zachary’s story begins in Topeka, Kansas, where he was born into a world shaped by poverty and housing insecurity. For Zach, housing justice is deeply personal. His parents divorced shortly after he was born. So he, his younger brother, and two older sisters primarily lived with his mother in Central Topeka, a neighborhood dotted with...Read More

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 vision to life, with a commitment that aligns deeply with Missouri’s own state motto: “The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law.” For us, that means safe, affordable...Read More

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 to find affordable, safe and dignified housing. More and more tenants are finding themselves having to pick between paying for childcare, medical care, food and rent. In 2022, the federal...Read More