Kaleia Richardson
Housing Counselor, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
St. Louis native, Kaleia Richardson is a Mental Health First Aid–HUD Certified Housing Counselor who helps families build the foundation for generational wealth and wellbeing. She supports the strengthening of families holistically emotionally, financially, and mentally. At the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, she has provided one-on-one housing and financial counseling since 2022, grounding every conversation in trauma-informed care and advocating for clients with landlords, lenders, and public agencies. Her approach is layered: education to build confidence, counseling to build a plan, small group financial therapy to strengthen and matched savings to turn that plan into assets, with the goal of putting families on a path toward generational wealth.
Kaleia has navigated housing, financial, social, emotional, and mental health crises with innovation, creativity, and a holistic lens. A 2025 Delux Magazine Power 100 recipient, she assisted her agency, her neighbors, and her community through disaster recovery. She leads the Financial Empowerment Cohort Matched Savings Program, has directed the Financial Empowerment Training Center, and holds HUD certification and Freddie Mac CreditSmart facilitator credentials. She is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical health counseling at Maryville University, with plans to grow her work toward becoming an LCSW to broaden her reach and impact.
Kaleia believes uplifting her community is a civic responsibility, and she inspires others to answer that call in the ways their gifts and personalities allow.