Report shows increased housing costs in Columbia, Boone County are among factors contributing to homelessness
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A 2025 report from the City of Columbia and Boone County Public Health and Human Services said corporate property buying is one of many factors impacting housing stability nationwide locally. The report also notes that keeping people in stable, long-term housing costs less than responding to homelessness after a crisis occurs.
Across the country, rent prices continue to rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports rent inflation increased 3.3% as of April.
In Boone County, officials said the impact is already visible. For more than a decade, the county’s homelessness rate per 10,000 people has remained above the state average. Between 2020-22, it even surpassed the national rate.
The county’s 2024 housing report also shows affordable rental options were shrinking. From 2023-24, apartments priced between $400-$599 a month dropped by 24%. At the same time, higher-priced units --ranging from $1,500-$1,900 -- grew by more than 75%.
The 2025 report also emphasizes the cost difference between housing stability and emergency response systems.
Organizers broke down daily costs, showing that a permanent supportive housing voucher costs $13.76 per day. That compares to $40.55 per night for a local shelter, $49.50 per night for an extended-stay motel, and more than $80 per day to house someone in the Boone County Jail.
Those costs could continue to rise. Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey has asked commissioners to consider placing a three-eighths-cent sales tax increase on the August ballot to help address growing jail demand.
"This report shows our coordinated system is working - we utilized every available voucher and housed 152 households in 2025. The cost comparison demonstrates that permanent supportive housing, at $13.76 per day, is our most effective long-term response and our most compassionate approach. These numbers allow us to consider a plan that could be scaled to meet the documented need," Carter Stephenson, a public health planner, was quoted in Thursday's press release.
The report also shows the county's efforts in battling the demand of homelessness.
While Boone County has added shelter beds over time, homelessness is increasing faster than available space. In 2025, 309 people were experiencing homelessness in the county, while there were only 298 available shelter beds.
The report also found that all city and county housing vouchers are currently in use. In addition, the number of people on the housing priority list declined from 338 in December 2024 to 265.
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