Hundreds of people packed the Pastides Alumni Center on Monday night, pressing local and state leaders to take action on issues they said are hurting the Midlands now, including a growing housing crisis.

The annual Nehemiah Action Assembly, hosted by MORE Justice, a non-profit coalition of more than 25 interfaith congregations across Richland and Lexington counties, brought together community members, clergy, and local officials for a structured evening of accountability.

Linda McDonald, an organizer with the faith-based community advocacy group MORE Justice, said she’s increasingly seen religious leaders and their congregations dip into discretionary funds to provide assistance for families facing eviction and homelessness.

“It’s pretty clear when 30% of your income, or more than 30% of your income, is gone before you even start to feed your family, clothe your family, pay for school issues, pay for healthcare, you just never can get ahead,” McDonald said. “We’re doing such a disservice to those children and those families if we don’t react to this crisis.”

On Oct. 2, 2025, MORE Justice, a Columbia, South Carolina–based network of faith congregations working for housing justice, held a press conference to push for passage of a state bill now under consideration. If passed, it would seal eviction records after six years and wipe cases from the public record after 30 days when evictions are dismissed or settled.