Columbia, Missouri
Housing Justice

​Ages

Middle School Students, High School Students, College Students, Adults​

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Maximum Group Size

25 people, including adults

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Available Dates​

• June 6 to 11, 2027

• June 13 to 18, 2027

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Housing is one of the most basic human needs, yet access to safe, stable, and affordable housing remains out of reach for millions of people across the country. Communities of faith often struggle to engage directly with the realities of housing insecurity and homelessness in their own backyards, failing to see how histories of segregation, discriminatory policy, and economic inequity continue to shape who has a place to call home.

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Groups participating in Columbia, MO (COMO)'s Housing Justice Week will learn about the systemic roots of housing insecurity and homelessness, identify barriers to equitable housing in their own communities, and begin developing a voice for advocacy and change. Your group will learn from local experts, advocates, and practitioners in housing support and policy; engage in hands-on service alongside organizations addressing homelessness and housing instability; and develop a critical lens for understanding the church's role in housing justice. Participants will explore the diverse realities of housing insecurity, working and building relationships alongside neighbors experiencing homelessness and those working toward long-term housing stability. Your group will have time to reflect on concepts like home, belonging, and dignity, and will together uncover the intersections of housing with race, poverty, disability, and other forms of injustice. Groups will leave better equipped to advocate for and advance inclusion, crafting a vision for housing justice in their own hearts, faith spaces, and communities.

 

Be The Neighbor’s summer programming begins on Sunday evening and concludes on Friday morning. You may stay an additional night to explore see the city in this location for an additional $10 per person. Check out is 10 am Saturday morning.

Trip costs follow our equitable pricing model. You can read more about it here. We want everyone to be able to participate no matter their financial realities. Regardless of which level you select, your trip includes: 

 

• A simple breakfast, lunch and snack Monday morning through Friday morning

• A dedicated Site Director and Intern(s) to facilitate your week

• Fully planned service and educational experiences

• Theological reflections created to engage participants in connecting what they are learning to their faith

• Discussion guides for priviate group reflection

• Group interactive education led by BTN staff 

• Lodging, including showers, dedicated sleeping rooms, gathering rooms, and kitchens use - most sites include air mattresses or cots for all of your participants

• Costs covered for honorariums for speakers, activities, supplies for projects with community partners, and any entrance fees for educational experiences

• A t-shirt for each participant​

• Journals for each participant

• Online orientation for your adult leaders 

 

Please note that your group will be responsible for dinners and transportation during the week.