Tenant Stories

In 2010, they moved into a halfway house, sharing a space with six other men and paying a minimal rent of $100 a month. However, living in this halfway house came at a cost beyond finances, as Jai was expected to be on call 24/7 doing odd jobs at random hours of the day. Jai would continue living like this for eight months, unable to build a true life for themselves. They felt trapped, maybe even doomed to this kind of nauseating existence of having no sense of free time or leisure.

Jai Byrd knows all too well the precarious nature of housing, a reality they’ve faced for much of their life. Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jai’s first experience with instability came early. Their father purchased a home hoping to create a stable environment, but a contractor’s embezzlement forced the family into bankruptcy. From that point on, homeownership was tinged with distrust for Jai.

“Looking back, it angers me,” Jai reflects. “I cannot see homeownership in my future with how my life had turned out and the way the system is set up for certain people to be able to own a house.”

After their father’s bankruptcy, Jai’s family moved into a rental for several years, beginning a cycle of instability that would creep into adulthood. They graduated high school and moved to Missouri to attend College of the Ozarks, where they lived in the dorms and worked on campus as a part of the “tuition-free” perk that came with attending that particular school. Unfortunately, their sibling had escaped a domestic violence situation, which led them to return to Ohio and prevented them from finishing their degree.

During 2007, Jai had moved into a rental, and everything seemed to be going well until their utility bill unexpectedly surged to an astonishing $3,000 in one month. Unable to pay the bill, Jai was forced to declare bankruptcy and move back to Branson, Missouri, where they worked at the Christian summer camp they went to when they were younger.

In 2010, they moved into a halfway house, sharing a space with six other men and paying a minimal rent of $100 a month. However, living in this halfway house came at a cost beyond finances, as Jai was expected to be on call 24/7 doing odd jobs at random hours of the day. Jai would continue living like this for eight months, unable to build a true life for themselves. They felt trapped, maybe even doomed to this kind of nauseating existence of having no sense of free time or leisure.

Despite years of financial and emotional hardship, Jai eventually married and tried to build a stable family life. They moved to Springfield, Missouri, with their spouse, Grace, in 2012, and bought a house in 2016. However, due to their earlier bankruptcy and poor credit, Jai’s name couldn’t be put on the deed. The house, symbolizing a fresh start, soon became a source of tension. As their marriage faltered, Jai was left struggling again to find their place in the world.

After the breakdown of their marriage, Jai was met with another dilemma — homelessness.

“Since then, I’ve couch-surfed, lived in cars, and made ends meet living on the fly,” Jai recalls. “Why do people have to work so hard just to live to tomorrow?” Jai's frustration with the broken housing system only deepened. They questioned why basic needs, like affordable and safe housing, were so out of reach for working-class people.

In 2021, Jai decided he had to do something about their situation and joined Springfield Tenants Unite, a local tenant organizing group focused on housing justice. For Jai, it was a lifeline. The housing challenges they had faced — denial of rentals due to credit issues, the struggle to meet income requirements, and living in substandard conditions — had lit a fire inside them to fight for something greater than just their own housing security.

Working with STUN gave Jai a sense of purpose. They threw themselves into the movement, contributing in a multitude of ways. From building a base of working-class tenants to helping organize data and advocating for transformative justice, Jai has become a cornerstone of the organization.

“Any win the tenants win is a huge win,” Jai says. Despite the challenges they continue to face as a working homeless person, Jai firmly believes in the power of collective action.

During the year 2023, Jai was instrumental in overturning House Bill 1606 in the case Byrd vs. State of Missouri, as it was significantly altered during the legislative process to include Section 67.2300, which imposes restrictions on state funds for the homeless and forbids unauthorized camping on state-owned land. This addition violated the Missouri Constitution’s single-subject rule, which prohibits bills from covering more than one topic and requires the title to clearly express its content. After a legal challenge, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the inclusion of that section was unconstitutional and invalidated the statute.

Through their work with STUN, Jai is helping to create a future where housing is a right, not a privilege, and where others won’t have to face the hardships they have endured and work tirelessly just to survive. Their story serves as both a testament to the strength of the human spirit and a reminder that housing justice is not just an individual issue, but a collective one.

Jai’s resilience in the face of adversity is what defines them. While they may not yet have found the stable home they’ve long sought, they’ve found a way to turn their struggles into a powerful force for change.

“Housing isn’t just a place to live — it’s security. It’s dignity. And it’s survival. We all deserve that.”