We all need affordable housing.
Since 1952, the Housing Authority of St. Louis County, now simply referred to as County Housing, has been the official government housing authority in St. Louis County that operates with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Our mission is to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing, ensure equal housing opportunity, promote self-sufficiency, and improve the quality of life and economic vitality of low- and moderate-income families.
Today, County Housing owns and/or manages more than 1,400 housing units and serves more than 7,000 families and 18,000-plus total household members in communities throughout St. Louis County. County Housing also manages the individual housing authorities of Hillsdale, Olivette, and Pagedale.
We work to create solutions that increase the availability of affordable homes and make affordable housing work better for individuals and families, landlords, developers, and the communities we serve.
We believe that affordable housing should be more than shelter—it should serve as a doorway to a better life.
In addition to providing housing itself, County Housing works to help increase the stability and economic mobility of residents. We work with providers of holistic supportive services designed to help individuals and families achieve greater well-being, self-sufficiency, and economic success.
When people become priced out of opportunity or home itself, we all suffer. There’s a housing crisis in America today, and St. Louis County is not immune.
Affordable housing ensures there is a safe home for children, elderly and disabled adults, employees of local businesses, and other members of our community. We believe that, when executed and managed properly, affordable housing is an asset that makes all communities stronger.
individuals served
families served
individual housing units owned/managed
During the years following World War II, America experienced a dramatic growth in suburban communities, and the St. Louis region was no exception. Between 1940 and 1950, St. Louis County’s population grew by 48%, from just over 274,000 to just over 406,000.
This sudden growth created a shortage in affordable housing as St. Louis County was quickly transforming from a primarily rural county into a county consisting of new and growing suburban communities.
The Housing Authority of St. Louis County, now simply known as County Housing, was founded in 1952 to serve the growing need for affordable housing in the suburbs of St. Louis.
As St. Louis County experienced further growth and changes in housing stock, the organization worked to increase the availability of affordable homes by building and acquiring housing throughout the county as well as providing management services to other housing authorities.
Today, the need for affordable housing in St. Louis County is greater than ever. Nearly one-third of County Housing residents make between only $10,001 and $15,000 a year, and 22% have no income—while the cost of housing has risen substantially. With a population of nearly 1 million residents in St. Louis County, we are more committed than ever to increasing the availability of affordable homes and making affordable housing work better for the people, partners, and communities we serve.