Date: February 9, 2026
To: Committee Chair Brad Christ, and members of the House Emerging Issues Committee
From: Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, Chief of Policy Staff, Empower Missouri
Re: Support for HB 2830
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 Coalition every month. This coalition is made up of individuals and organizations who are working to ensure every Missourian has access to safe, affordable, stable housing. On behalf of our staff, board, and coalition members, we are asking you to support and vote yes on HB 2830, an increase in the real estate recording fee to bolster funding for the Missouri Housing Trust Fund.
Missouri’s Housing Trust Fund was created by the State Legislature in 1994 to help meet the housing needs of low income families and individuals. The Missouri Housing Development Commission administers the Housing Trust Fund, which provides funding for a variety of housing needs, including rehabilitation and new construction of rental housing, homelessness prevention services, rental assistance, and home repair. The Housing Trust Fund is funded by a $3 recording fee collected by each county’s Recorder of Deeds when the first page of a real estate document is filed.
This $3 fee has not been updated since the fund was created in 1994. Since the fee has not increased since 1994, the Housing Trust Fund has not kept up with inflation and often receives requests for funding which are significantly above the amount of resources available. In 2025, 75% of the requests by Missouri communities to the Housing Trust Fund were denied. Due to a shortage in funding, no new construction or rehabilitation projects have been approved for the last three years. Denied construction and rehab projects during those years include proposals from Elevate Branson, Generations Village in Willard, Community Missions Corporation in St. Joseph, and Peter & Paul Community Services in St. Louis.
Funding for the Missouri Housing Trust Fund can be increased without increasing taxes and without the use of general revenue. HB 2830 increases the Housing Trust Fund portion of the filing fee from $3 to $9 for the first page of each real estate transaction recorded. Since many real estate transactions within Missouri involve out-of-state — and even out-of-country — investors, this funding mechanism supports increased affordable housing without burdening Missourians with tax increases. For example, in the second quarter of 2025 one out of three single family homes sold were bought by investors.
Increasing affordable housing through the Housing Trust Fund is essential for Missouri’s economy. The decline in the availability of affordable housing for workers across the state is affecting our workforce development. Prospective employers feel the impact of inadequate housing in their communities as well, avoiding regions with a lack of affordable housing due to the struggle to attract skilled workers to those areas. These conditions disrupt business operations and increase recruitment costs, creating a vicious cycle that impedes individual career progress and the community’s economic stability, hindering both sustained growth of local businesses and the local economy.
HB 2830 will increase access to affordable homes for Missouri families without increasing taxes or taking from general revenue. Please vote yes on HB 2830 to help solve Missouri’s housing crisis and provide more safe affordable homes across our state.
Sources
https://mhdc.com/programs/community-programs/missouri-housing-trust-fund-mhtf/
https://ruralhousingcoalition.org/overcoming-barriers-to-affordable-rural-housing/
Wyandotte Economic Development Council
English 
Spanish