Springfield Tenants Form Union to Fight Housing Complex Conversion

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI — More than 60 residents of two affordable housing complexes have formed a tenants union and filed a class-action lawsuit to prevent their displacement as property owners plan to exit federal low-income housing programs and convert one facility into luxury senior living.

The Rosewood-Cedarwood Tenants Union formed after residents at Cedarwood Terrace and Rosewood Estates received eviction notices when property owners announced plans to leave the federal affordable housing program at Cedarwood Terrace and transform Rosewood Estates into high-end senior housing.

Bradley Breier, now a leader with Springfield Tenants Union, moved into Cedarwood Terrace with his parents in March 2024 after living with his aunt. Just one month later, all tenants received notice they would be evicted.

Legal Challenge Underway

The tenants union filed a class-action lawsuit arguing that former and current property owners illegally opted out of the low-income housing program years before 2032, when the program was initially set to expire. The case is currently moving through the courts at the Greene County Courthouse.

“Everybody was in a similar situation,” Breier said outside the Greene County Courthouse. “We were going to be homeless, a lot of people, I’ll tell you that.”

Without a favorable court ruling, over 60 residents of both properties must find new housing by August. Tenants report few available options that meet their accessibility needs and budgets.

Growing Tenant Organization Movement

Springfield Tenants Union organizers gathered at both housing complexes to speak with residents facing similar circumstances. The conversations quickly led to formation of the joint tenants union as residents realized collective action offered their best hope for remaining in their homes.

The legal action names several defendants, including Zimmerman Properties and its subsidiaries Bryan Properties and GPS Property Management, along with the Missouri Housing Development Commission. Lawyers representing these entities declined to comment on the pending litigation.

“They don’t listen to us. It’s like they have one vision for one thing, and it’s not us,” Breier said of the property owners. “It doesn’t include us, or what we’re struggling with.”

For Breier and his neighbors, organizing represented a last resort after other attempts to address their housing situation proved unsuccessful. The Springfield case reflects a broader trend of tenant organizing across Missouri as renters face increasing pressure from rising housing costs and property conversions.

Emily Hester, another member of the Rosewood-Cedarwood Tenants Union, joined Breier in the legal fight with hopes of maintaining their housing stability. Both tenants view the lawsuit as their primary path to avoiding displacement from their current homes.