How low-income St. Louisans can build home equity faster—without a down payment
St. Louis Community Credit Union and Carrollton Bank’s Affordable Seconds pilot program helps buyers get around the need for costly mortgage insurance.
Economic Mobility Lab
The Economic Mobility Lab at St. Louis Magazine was founded on the premise that many St. Louisans yearn for a better life—for themselves and their children. Jobs that pay more. Nicer places to live. Stronger schools. Better ways to get around. Secure retirements. And for the region to flourish, those yearnings must become realities for more people—especially for those who don’t have much. With generous support from the James S. McDonnell Foundation, our team of reporters is exploring factors that lift locals up and ones that hold them back, with the hope of identifying solutions that create a region where everyone can thrive.
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Northern Village woes prompt St. Louis County’s first official tenant union
A ‘supermajority’ of the complex’s residents elected to form a tenant union and want action from the county council and their landlord.
Preservation Square revamp nears completion, bringing new affordable housing to North City
The Obama-era Choice Neighborhoods project is finally beginning its final phase.
Judge blocks auction of Senate Square—for now
Aurox Equities says it has a deal to acquire a majority interest in the troubled Benton Park apartment complex.
How Missouri could hold corporate landlords accountable
Local officials’ “Whac-A-Mole” game of tracking down the responsible party within opaque ownership groups could be solved by changes to the law.
Cortex’s Square One bootcamp is a bridge for budding entrepreneurs
The 10-week course helps people who have a business idea but don’t know what to do next.
The KitchenHub STL is helping local makers become business movers and shakers
The food industry incubator and commissary, which is gearing up to open a second location in Kirkwood, is an entrepreneur’s secret weapon.
Prop B asks voters to increase St. Louis’ sales tax to fund early childhood education
Advocates have sought such funding for years. After a 2024 effort stalled at City Hall, backers gathered 36,000 signatures to put a half-cent sales tax directly before voters this November.
An out-of-state firm’s neglect has reshaped a corner of Benton Park—but neighbors are fighting back
Senate Square helped revitalize the neighborhood. Now it’s gone empty, causing problems in a desirable South City enclave.
Workforce Pell grants may open doors to jobs for St. Louis students
The cost of short-term vocational training is typically paid out of pocket. That’s about to change