Springfield Business Journal_2019-07-29

SPONSORED CONTENT Meeting the Housing Needs of the Wo A ‌ ccording to the latest census data, ‌25.7% of people in Springfield are living in poverty. That number is nearly twice the statewide average of 13.4%. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports the 2019 national poverty level is $21,330 for a family of three, adding $4,420 for each additional person. Housing is a big expense, and Missouri’s 2019 Housing Wage, reported in the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach report, finds that, “In no state, metropol- itan area or county can a full-time mini- mum-wage worker afford a modest two-bed- room rental home at fair market rent.” Someone earning minimum wage, currently $8.60 per hour, needs 1.5 full- time jobs or work 59 hours per week to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. For a two-bedroom apartment, they’ll need 1.9 full-time jobs or work 74 hours per week. In Springfield, many who had barriers to renting because of income, low credit score, felony convictions or past evic- tions found options through 417 Rentals LLC, owned by Chris Gatley. And as the legal proceedings involving those proper- ties unfolded, many tenants stayed put in the company’s 500-plus rental proper- ties because they had no place else to go. Given the condition of the majority of 417 Rentals’ homes, the health of families could have been impacted. The NLIHC’s Healthy Homes report found that substan- dard housing contributes significantly to the health issues faced by many chil- dren in low-income areas. Children with secure, affordable housing are far more likely to stay in school and succeed socially, and their parents are far more likely to keep a job and maintain a family income. As 62% of business respondents and 83% of consumer respondents to Springfield Business Journal’s 2019 Economic Growth Survey say Springfield needs more afford- able single-family housing in order to remain competitive. Local nonprofits, agencies and community leaders have REBO FOUND SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL WORKFORCE / SKILLS 8