The Intersection of Housing and Homelessness

Neighborhood and developer concerns were on display once again — as Springfield City Council faced a protest petition on Monday night in the run-up to a rezoning vote.

Housing issues played a big role at Monday night’s Springfield City Council meeting.

According to the latest Housing and Urban Development data that came out at the beginning of this year, homelessness is up by 18 percent in America.

Homelessness is up by 18 percent across America, according to the latest government data. KSMU's Gregory Holman speaks with Springfield pastor Ashley Quinn about the cold-weather crisis shelter system, maintained by a handful of churches and community centers, and the system's need for space and volunteers.

The six-story apartment building in downtown Springfield has been without working elevators. It serves low-income residents, many of whom are elderly and/or disabled.

Recently, Midwest Newsroom has been working on a multi-part series called Unhoused/Unschooled. KSMU's Gregory Holman interviewed Midwest Newsroom reporter Kavahn Mansouri on how the taxpayer-funded system struggles to care for vulnerable kids, especially in rural communities.

In the 2010s, the homeownership rate in Missouri’s third-largest city collapsed by 17 percentage points. Today, Springfield homeownership has recovered a bit, but it still doesn’t form a majority of city residents — as it once did. Now, the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity is breaking ground on a project to address housing.

Just ahead of the holiday weekend, Missouri’s third-largest city announced it's taking additional action against the owners of a downtown building for low-income residents.

Springfield City Council held a public hearing Monday on whether to send a 3/4-cent sales tax proposal to voters in November. But in a long debate, Council heard many residents who want to see sales tax spending put toward the city’s urgent housing needs.

Last fall, Springfield City Council began a discussion as to whether housing should be one of the key policy positions for Missouri’s third-largest city. On Monday night, they made it official.