Springfield Tenants Unite Pushes for Healthy Homes Guarantee Ahead of Key Vote

Jai Byrd addresses City Council in support of the rental inspection pilot program. Photo by Blythe Spindler-Richardson.

On the night of October 20th, leaders, members, and allies of Springfield Tenants Unite (STUN) filled City Council chambers to demand safe, dignified housing for all. The public hearing centered on the proposed rental licensing and inspection pilot program — what tenants call the Healthy Homes Guarantee.

As debate over the rental inspection pilot intensified, critics warned that licensing fees could drive up rent prices. But Jai Byrd, Springfield Tenants Unite Field & Data Lead Organizer, pushed back — reminding councilmembers that rents have already skyrocketed without any guarantee of safe, livable homes.

“The only thing increasing rents is greed enabled by bad policy,” he said. “Stop repeating landlords’ talking points, start showing us our safety matters more than profits [...] Because accountability isn’t costly, avoiding accountability will cost us everything.”

Byrd’s words captured the frustration of tenants across Springfield — people who have watched rents climb while basic maintenance goes ignored. For STUN, the Healthy Homes Guarantee isn’t just about regulation; it’s about restoring balance and demanding a city that values people over profit.

“Too many rentals in our city have serious issues like faulty plumbing, black mold, leaks, and broken or boarded windows,” said tenant Ryan Dixon of Missouri Jobs with Justice. “This program would hold property owners accountable and ensure safer homes for everyone.”

For STUN, this fight is years in the making. The group has long argued that slumlords have been able to profit from unsafe housing conditions while renters shoulder the health and financial consequences. Their message is clear: no one in Springfield should live in a home that makes them sick or unsafe.

The proposed pilot — the first step toward a city-wide Healthy Homes Guarantee — would run for 18 months in the West Central Neighborhood Service District, an area dense with older housing and blight cases. Every rental unit in that zone would need to be registered annually for $35 per unit, and all 1,541 units would be inspected within the first year. Afterward, inspections would occur at least once every five years. Property owners who fail to register or fix violations could face fines ranging from $500 to $2,500.

Opponents — primarily landlord groups — argued that the policy unfairly burdens property owners, claiming that “99 percent of landlords are good.” But STUN and their allies counter that the absence of oversight and widespread unreported violations demand a proactive, city-wide solution.

“The severe lack of care and concern from my previous landlords has caused my life and my health many serious issues. The rental inspection program is something I stand by as a citizen of Springfield because it would guarantee healthy living conditions and help limit the greed landlords tend to possess,” Milea Carbello said to council members.

The City Council’s final vote on the rental inspection pilot is set for Monday, November 3. STUN is calling on renters, allies, and all who believe in housing justice to gather at 6:00 p.m. outside the Springfield Regional Police & Fire Training Center, 2620 W Battlefield Rd, Springfield, MO 65807, ahead of the meeting to gather and go in together.

This is the moment to show up and stand with Springfield’s renters. The fight for healthy, dignified housing has been building for years — now it’s time to make it real. Join the movement. Join your neighbors. Demand a Healthy Homes Guarantee for every tenant in Springfield.