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 for basic human needs and equal rights for all Missourians since 1901. As part of our work, we organize a statewide Affordable Housing Coalition composed of individuals and organizations who work diligently each day to ensure all Missourians have access to secure, safe, and affordable housing.
On behalf of our staff, board, and coalition members, we support HB 2722 and urge you to vote yes.
Missouri has a severe affordable housing shortage. Our partners at the National Low Income Housing Coalition show 72% of very low income renter households in Missouri overpay for their housing, and are housing cost burdened. Cost burden occurs when a household pays more than 30% of their income towards housing costs alone, leaving very little for medical care, food, childcare, and other expenses. There is nothing left for these families to save for an emergency, and we should consider that they are all one emergency away from homelessness.
Nationwide, the annual Point-In-Time count3 reported that:
- more than 771,480 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024
- 7,312 of those individuals were our Missouri neighbors
- and 513 were Veterans
In Missouri,
- more than 34,000 students in our public schools were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2022-23 school year
That means 1 out of every 25 students, one pupil per classroom, has no place to call home.
This should not be the case in one of the wealthiest nations on the planet.
A lack of affordable housing paired with household incomes that haven’t kept up with current inflation rates are the primary causes of increased poverty. This combination paired with our nation’s housing crisis is leading to more and more of our loved ones and neighbors experiencing homelessness. More than 80% of students identified under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act were “doubled up” — living with friends or relatives due to loss of housing or economic hardship. These students often remain hidden from public view, yet they face enormous challenges that can disrupt learning, attendance, and emotional well-being—factors strongly tied to increased student mobility.4
The Vanleer Foundation reports that a child’s emotional regulation, behavior, and their capacity for lifelong learning forms within the first five years of their life, going further to state, “The physical environment in which children grow up deeply shapes their development and potential.” and The Center for Public Integrity reports that in 18 states, graduation rates for students who experienced homelessness lagged more than 20 percentage points behind the overall rate in both 2017 and 2018.
Other states such as Arkansas, Illinois and Tennessee have implemented similar programs that provide assistance and support to pupils experiencing homelessness.5 Tennessee’s HB 1000, and its companion bill SB 763, require postsecondary institutions to designate a Homeless Student Liaison, who must assist students experiencing homelessness in applying for and receiving financial aid and available services. Tennessee’s postsecondary institutions also must develop plans to provide students experiencing homelessness with access to housing resources during and between academic terms, and must give homeless students priority access to on-campus housing, including housing that remains open for the most days in a calendar year.
Missouri has the opportunity to provide our students with the encouragement needed to find their footing and succeed in life. Please vote yes on HB 2722 and help guarantee the educational rights for students experiencing homelessness.
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