Date: February 11, 2026
To: Chairman Hinman and Members, Local Government Committee
From: Erica Robbins, Affordable Housing Policy Manager, Empower Missouri
Re: Support for HB 2898
Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri is the largest anti-poverty advocacy organization in the state. As part of our work, we organize a statewide Affordable Housing Coalition. 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 HB 2898.
Data from our partners at the National Low Income Housing Coalition show 87% of very low income households in Missouri pay more than 30% of their income towards housing costs which leaves very little in their pockets for medical care, food, childcare, and other expenses. At the end of each month, there is nothing left to save for an emergency, such as an unexpected medical bill, car repairs or unforeseen seasonal costs. In cases like these, we should consider that some households could be one such emergency away from homelessness.
Missouri also boasts over 324,667 vacant housing units according to an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey data. Left uninhabited, these deserted properties often deteriorate, creating public health and safety hazards and impacting the vitality of our communities.
Due to there being no county in our state with an adequate supply of affordable housing, over 120,000 families in Missouri cannot afford to simply move to find more suitable homes because there simply is not enough available. Recent estimates show that a person earning minimum wage would need to work fifty-two hours a week to afford a one-bedroom rental. Land banks can help address our housing crisis in Missouri by obtaining these desolate properties and developing them into affordable housing opportunities, turning what were once empty and abandoned lots into warm and welcoming homes.
As of February 2024, nineteen states and Puerto Rico have passed land bank legislation, and there are currently over 350 land banks and land-banking programs across the United States, with four in Missouri, located in our larger metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Kansas City, Blue Springs, and Saint Joseph. These areas can attest that land banks are essential to community revitalization and neighborhoods challenged by what to do with unoccupied real estate.
Land banks benefit rural communities as well as their larger urban counterparts by restoring abandoned properties to productive use. Since the pandemic, rural areas have continued to see a growth in population, creating the need for more affordable housing in these areas and an affordable streamlined path toward home ownership. HB 2898 has the potential to deeply impact rural areas by authorizing land banks in smaller towns and counties, providing more housing opportunities for our neighbors in these regions, and allowing unused land and structures to be transformed into areas of growth and development.
Land banks provide an economic boost to communities as well by increasing property values, collection of delinquent taxes, and stimulating job growth. When rehabilitating abandoned and blighted properties, Missouri counties and municipalities will be able to increase their affordable housing options while simultaneously decreasing their dependence on government funds and housing subsidies. Land banks allow communities to be the decision-makers regarding the unattended areas of their towns, keeping property rights and choices on what’s best for their residents at the local level.
HB 2898 stands to benefit many Missouri counties and municipalities. We appreciate Representative Owen introducing this bill and encourage you to vote yes on HB 2898.
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