In many Missouri communities, high rates of eviction, excessive rent burden and poor-quality housing are among the public health factors that drive gun violence. Experts say evictions cause dislocations in the lives of individuals and in communities, and people without secure housing find themselves pushed into high-risk situations. Housing is one of several factors — along with income, access to food, living environments and education — that affect a person’s risk of becoming a victim or a participant in gun violence.
Join American Public Square at Jewell and The Kansas City Star at 12:30 p.m. on May 26 for the next program in our series Gun Violence in Missouri: Seeking Solutions.
Our discussion will focus on how secure housing supports the public health approach to gun violence prevention, thus improving outcomes for Missouri.
This digital event is part of the Missouri Gun Violence Project, a two-year, statewide journalism collaboration investigating the causes and possible solutions to gun violence. It is supported by the nonprofits Report for America and Missouri Foundation for Health. The Star has partnered on this project with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Springfield News-Leader.
The discussion will be moderated by Kaitlin Washburn, a member of the gun violence reporting team at The Kansas City Star.
