Read This Report
For 25 years, the National Low Income Housing Coalition has published one of the best reports on poverty and what it takes to afford a decent apartment to live in. Out of Reach 2014 was recently released and I encourage you to go to their website and read it – www.nlihc.org/oor/2014. What I find enlightening about their report is how well they explain concepts like “fair market rent” and “housing wage” and “affordability.” But what really strikes me when I read the report each year is how far apart the minimum wage is from providing basic, decent, rental housing throughout our entire country. In N.C. the housing wage for a two-bedroom rental unit is $14.37, almost twice the minimum wage. In other words, a minimum wage earner would have to work 79 hours per week just to afford housing! Please read the report and check out the charts – it’s not very lengthy. Your eyes will be opened!