Human Services

We believe that our state has more than enough resources to provide adequate food and housing, appropriate health care, education, a safe environment, and meaningful work for every person in our state. Through leadership, community involvement, and personal example rather than political mandate, we can address the disparities between the "haves" and "have nots."

Housing

We are committed to making decent housing in pleasant surroundings available to all citizens in our state. We support the exploration of various options to provide low-cost, ecologically sound housing. Since old homes represent a resource of energy and resources, rehabilitation of homes in poor repair may be preferable to tearing them down. Community development banks offering low- interest home loans could finance home rehabilitation, and other innovative housing solutions that cost less and use land efficiently such as co-housing, cooperatives, ecological villages, home rehabilitation, and owner-built homes. A grant program could encourage the construction of model co- housing developments in small towns and cities.

Community land trusts have been a successful way to provide affordable housing in many parts of the United States. From the trust, people buy a home, often at a low price, that trust members may have rehabilitated. The trust retains title to the land on which the home rests. Control of the trust is vested in a board made up of members of the trust and the larger community.

Currently, many public and private buildings in Missouri are wasteful of energy, building materials, and other resources used in their construction, maintenance, heating, and lighting. This costs us money and jobs, and adversely affects the environment. In contrast, buildings that require virtually no energy for heat--other than that produced by lights, appliances, office machines, and body heat-- can be and are being constructed. The potential for using solar and other state- produced renewable resources in Missouri buildings also is virtually untapped. We encourage Missouri builders to use Missouri-produced building materials wherever possible to aid the state economy.

A comprehensive state plan that cooperates with local groups and neighborhood organizations will help to provide shelter for those who are presently homeless. Many options are possible such as free shelters, work equity plans, new forms of rooming houses, group homes, rent subsidies, and low interest loans. We recommend that self-improvement programs, health care, and counseling be made available to those choosing to participate. We encourage non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

Child Care

Child bearing and parenting are essential in a healthy society and must be honored and financially supported. We believe that good ways to nurture children are to acknowledge the legitimacy and value of diverse family arrangements and support primary caregivers.

We need a comprehensive system that addresses the needs of all children and includes affordable child care, after- school programs for children of single and working parents, health care, educational and counseling support for parents, prevention of child abuse, and family enrichment programs.

We support:

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Formatted by C. L. Spitzer.
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