Daniel Gore was one of more than 30 members of Springfield Tenants Unite to attend the latest meeting of Springfield City Council.
He told Council, "It seems to me like there’s a pretty stark disparity when it comes to the experience of what having a home is, in this town. I know a lot of people who are more well-off than I am that have no idea what it’s like to stress out about your home, about where you’re staying. I’ve been homeless, more than once. I’ve lived in public housing. And they’re ugly, ugly places, most of the time.”
The local tenants union formed during the worst of the pandemic and has recently been a frequent presence at city meetings. Group members are asking City Council to make housing an official priority and to mandate a rental inspection system to ensure housing quality.
“Springfield is more than 60 percent tenants," said Alice Barber, reflecting information developed through a recent housing study by the city.
Barber is one of the group’s leaders. She spoke to Ozarks Public Radio hours before the Council meeting.
She said, “It is not inevitable that it has to be so hard to find an affordable place to live or so hard to find someplace that is actually safe and healthy and stays in good condition.”
Council is expected to look more closely at housing policy during a retreat in April.
Correction, Feb. 27, 4:11 p.m.: Due to a issue in transcribing, a percentage figure for the proportion of rental tenants in Springfield was corrected in the online text of this article.
