Springfield Tenants Unite

09/04/2026

We are grateful for the insightful and nuanced conversations we had last weekend during the Our Rights, Our Homes, Our Future town hall. It was nothing short of empowering to hear from our incredible expert panelists John Po***ck, Paula Green, Emily Fessler, and Elle Fabro as they addressed attendees’ questions and delved into exactly what Right to Counsel would mean for Springfield.

Seeing all of our neighbors in one room was truly something moving, and we know our campaign for a Right to Counsel, or legislation that balances the scales of justice in our eviction court system, is what our community needs right now.

We extend a special thank you to Zone 3 Councilman Brandon Jenson and General Seat B Councilman Craig Hosmer for attending the town hall, taking an active role in the discussion, and expressing strong support for Right to Counsel.

Please join us in thanking these two legislators for showing up as tenant champions by taking action here: https://bit.ly/thank-jenson-hosmer-rtc

09/02/2026

We couldn’t be more excited to share our upcoming documentary, Finding Home, this fall. This film is a gift from our small and passionate crew of artists and activists to our community.

The wait is almost over: screening dates will be announced very soon, and we hope you will join us in supporting the release of and community art events surrounding this documentary built at the intersection of housing justice and the arts.

Learn more about the film here: https://www.liberatedcreatives.com/finding-home

08/28/2026

For too long, our eviction court systems have been skewed in favor of landlords and property management companies who have been afforded legal representation. When both tenants and landlords are on equal footing in eviction court with Right to Counsel programs, judges are able to uncover the full story and arrive at more just and accurate outcomes for all parties.

Springfield, it’s time to bring balance to our community, and we can achieve this fairness when we come together.

Join us TOMORROW between 3:00 and 5:00 or Our Rights, Our Homes, Our Future, a town hall and community conversation on how we will take action so your family has a fighting chance at housing stability in our city.

Register here: https://bit.ly/Our-Future-Town-Hall

08/26/2026

We are honored to host our housing and eviction expert panelists for this Saturday’s town hall, Our Rights, Our Homes, Our Future.

John Po***ck has served as a mentor to STUN’s Right to Counsel campaign, is a Staff Attorney for the Public Justice Center, and has been the Coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (NCCRC) since 2009. The NCCRC works in 47 states to ensure individuals have a right to effective counsel when facing the loss of their basic human needs in the civil legal system.

Paula Green is the Senior Attorney at Legal Services of Southern Missouri and a graduate of University of Missouri Law School. Her experience lends itself to insights on representing tenants facing evictions, the court process, and how having legal representation impacts the lives of Springfieldians.

Emily Fessler has extensive experience working in housing and homelessness services, including homeless system planning, federal housing programs, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and homelessness prevention. This background has given her a comprehensive understanding of the barriers families face after experiencing eviction and the downstream impacts of housing instability.

As STUN’s Eviction Court Watch Organizer, Elle Fabro is our union’s lead on local eviction court case data and research. It is because of her tireless work analyzing CaseNet filings, documenting court cases, and more that we have a clearer picture of what is currently happening in our court system.

Join us this Saturday, August 29 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM for this community conversation. Your voices will be heard by decision makers with the power to ensure YOU have access to your rights.

Register here: https://bit.ly/Our-Future-Town-Hall

08/25/2026

Want to bring fairness to our community? Register for Our Rights, Our Homes, Our Future at the link in our bio or drop a 🐝 in the comments and we’ll DM you the link!

08/24/2026

According to Princeton’s Eviction Lab, eviction rates in Springfield have risen a devastating 38% in the last five years. That’s thousands of families in our community impacted by systemic failures that directly link to increased rates of homelessness, housing instability, as well as poor health and educational outcomes.

Your family and our community as a whole deserves better.

That’s why we’re gathering this Saturday, August 29 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM for Our Rights, Our Homes, Our Future, a free town hall featuring a panel of local and national housing and eviction issue experts and stories from impacted tenants across our city.

Your voices will be heard by community decision makers with the power to ensure YOU have access to your rights.

Learn about the event and register here: https://bit.ly/Our-Future-Town-Hall

08/21/2026

We are grateful to hear Zone 4 Councilman Bruce Adib-Yazdi’s feedback from attending eviction court with us. In our conversation, he highlighted a key element of imbalance in our current eviction court system where tenants are rarely afforded legal support and the vast majority of landlords are represented by attorneys.

Everyone deserves a fair chance in court, and that’s why we are urging for the passage of Right to Counsel, which guarantees tenants access to our housing rights and prevents homelessness in Springfield.

If you want to hear more about this legislation already sitting in committee and what we’re doing as a community to bring justice into our court system, join us Saturday, August 29, 3:00 to 5:00 PM for Our Rights, Our Homes, Our Future.

Learn about the event here: https://bit.ly/Our-Future-Town-Hall

08/20/2026

We’re so proud that our very own Jai Byrd will be a featured speaker at the 2026 Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit in October!

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT ‼

At the 2026 Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit, we are welcoming many fantastic speakers - including Jai Byrd with Springfield Tenants Unite. Jai will introduce how tenants across Missouri are organizing to build power and win.
You can buy tickets for the 2026 Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit here ⬇
EmpowerMissouri.org/summit/

08/12/2026

During Monday’s Rosewood-Cedarwood Tenant Union press conference, tenant leader Jami Johnson spoke to the profound relief and joy she feels after being granted protection from eviction while the lawsuit she and her neighbors filed against their current and former landlords is pending.

As Jami captures so beautifully, organizing isn’t just about fighting against injustice in the world, but fostering and nurturing our community at large. Because Rosewood and Cedarwood tenants stood by each other in care and compassion, they are winning what might have seemed impossible years ago. We are so proud of our union siblings and incredibly grateful that they are now able to rest easier in their homes while they pursue their case.

If you want to support work like this in our community, consider becoming a member and paying union dues. For just $5 a month, you can make a powerful impact in helping us continue expanding our efforts to ensure safe, accessible, and truly affordable housing in Springfield.

Tap here to learn more: https://www.springfieldtenantsunite.org/go-fund-me

08/10/2026

As we prepare for Our Rights, Our Homes, Our Future, a town hall featuring a panel of housing and eviction issue experts and stories from impacted tenants across our city, we want to hear from our community.

What questions would you like addressed by our panel and community leaders on Right to Counsel and housing justice in the courtroom? Let us know in the comments and we will do our best to work them into our program!

Learn more about the event and register here: https://bit.ly/Our-Future-Town-Hall