Missouri Immigration

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Impact On Environment And Quality Of Life

Water:
Population growth means increased demand for water. Jefferson County will need nearly $400 million to meet the water needs of it’s growing population over the next 20 years.4 Around Lake of the Ozarks and other reservoirs, overloaded sewer systems and excessive septic systems have led to biological problems ranging from unsightly algae to fish kills.5

Traffic:
As population growth put more traffic on the roads, the average commute for Missouri residents increased ten percent during the 1990s, from 22 minutes to 24 minutes in 2000. 6,7 Vehicle travel on Missouri’s highways increased by 39 percent from 1989 to 1999.8 In Jefferson County, traffic counts on most highways doubled between 1985 and 1995.9

Disappearing Open Space: Each year, Missouri loses 44,800 acres due to development.10

Crowded Housing:
15,000 Missouri households are defined as severely crowded by housing authorities, a 35 percent increase since 1990.11,12 Studies show that a rise in crowded housing often correlates with an increase in the number of foreign-born.13,14

Affordable Housing:
Thousands of Twin Cities residents are struggling to find and keep affordable housing in a market so tight that only 1.5 percent of rental units are open at any one time. More than one-third of Twin Cities renters cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment.18

Sprawl:
Population growth in Missouri is threatening the state’s natural areas and rural character, according to a study from the Brookings Institution. Development is encroaching upon treasures like the Lone Jack battlefield and Philips Farm and Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.15 Many of the of the state’s forests and streams are threatened, and twelve of its 29 battlefields are listed as either threatened or highly threatened by the population shift.16

Poverty:
One in five of the state’s immigrant residents have incomes below poverty level. Among foreign-born non-citizens, the rate climbs to one in four.17

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