According to National Eviction Lab, the leading predictor of eviction is having children in the home. Skyrocketing rents have priced families needing larger units out of the market, forcing many children to lose the familiarity of their schools and neighborhoods. According to Ranita Norwood, Columbia Public Schools Student Services Coordinator, transiency is the leading cause of poor academic performance.

The CDC has recently completed a long-term study of eviction and reported a correlation with child neglect and abuse and children entering foster care following a family experiencing eviction. The stress of becoming homeless cannot be overstated. Many of our unhoused parents have shared the heart-breaking questions their children ask about where they will sleep that night or when they will have a home again. 

75 percent of the people with housing instability served by Love Columbia are parenting adults and their children. We support these families through our Path Forward, Extra Mile Homes, and Healthy Homes & Tables programs. To volunteer alongside our staff, email: volunteer@lovecolumbia.org.

Why Some Cities Have Higher Rates of Homelessness

1.    High rent prices – Columbia rent increased 26% since 2021

2.    Low rental vacancies – Columbia has 5.8% vacancy rate (lowest in 10 years, considered a dire shortage)

* Click to read more: Homelessness Is a Housing Problem

It costs less to keep people housed than rehouse them from homelessness: If you become unhoused, you will find that free shelter is limited and often unavailable for a family or an elderly/disabled person.

Your alternative of a temporary hotel stay will cost you a minimum of about $400/week.

If you have lost your housing, you will either be paying for a storage unit for your household belongings or have lost them altogether and will need to replace them.

If you are fortunate enough to find a new place to live, you will learn that the current rental market gives property owners the option to charge a double deposit (often $2,400 or more for a three bedroom). You will also need to restart utilities and pay associated deposits.

All across the country, housing specialists are advocating for increased resources to prevent eviction. It makes more sense from an emotional, social and economic perspective to keep people housed.

Please join the Veterans United Foundation, QuesTec and other local businesses in donating to Love Columbia’s Keep A Roof Over Your Head campaign.

Every family we support with financial assistance to avoid eviction will also receive coaching to help them maintain their housing going forward. Some fell behind on rent due to an unexpected expense such as a car repair or health care bill and could benefit from coaching to create an emergency savings account. Others may have not adjusted to the “new normal” of higher housing costs and may need help finding a better paying job or improving their money management skills to get out of debt or reduce expenses.

* Numbers from January 1 - October 31, 2023

Dee moved to Columbia 20 years ago with her one-year-old daughter as a refugee from Ivory Coast. She later married and now has three more children. She has worked hard in health care and retail and her husband Alex worked in manufacturing until he started a delivery business two years ago. Six months ago, their van broke down and ended the delivery business. As they were regrouping financially, their landlord raised their rent from $900 to $1,400. Dee and Alex were concerned they could not afford this so they gave notice to the landlord, not realizing how tight the housing market is and how difficult it would be to find other housing. 

We were elated when our housing coaches found a place that would accept them on the very street where they had been living. This meant the kids would not have to change schools. The sobering side of the story is the new rent for a significantly smaller place is $1,250 and a double deposit was required. Furthermore, the new landlord did not clean or make much needed repairs before the family moved in. A month later, we are still pressing to get basic and safety-related repairs done. 

Despite the setbacks and disappointments, the family is not giving up and neither are we! Our transportation coach is getting their van evaluated to see if it can be repaired. Dee and Alex are considering how to improve their future. They want financial coaching so they can someday buy a house and career coaching for their children so they will have greater financial security than they have known. They still believe the American dream is possible!

Dee working with Kelli Van Doren, Love Columbia Coaching Manager.

Love Columbia brought key community partners together to form a collaboration with Good Dads, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering fathers to be the best parents they can be. Through a range of resources, events, and support services, Good Dads has helped countless fathers in southwest Missouri and Kansas City become more engaged in their children's lives. We are excited to collaborate with Good Dads to bring their impactful programs and resources to the Columbia community. Courses for fathers will begin in January at several locations.

To learn more about Good Dads, visit: gooddads.com   

Good Dads Facilitator Training