It is impossible for any individual in a full-time, minimum wage job to afford a decent two-bedroom apartment in the US, according to a new report.
This situation holds true even in states where the minimum wage is as high as US$15 per hour, a study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition has revealed.
Nationally, workers need to earn at least US$17.60 to afford a one-bedroom apartment and US$22.10 if they want two bedrooms. But two thirds of US jobs pay less than US$20 per hour, which means that even people who make more than the minimum wage are still struggling to pay the rent. The assessment is based on the principle that 30% of an individual’s income goes towards housing.
Currently, the most expensive state in the Union is Hawaii, where workers would need to earn an estimated US$75,000 each year to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. In Arkansas, the state with the cheapest cost of living with regard to housing, they would still need to earn US$13.84 per hour. The current minimum wage in Arkansas is US$8.50.
A one-bedroom apartment is currently considered affordable for residents of just five states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. In all of these states, the minimum wage is at least US$7.25, which is the current Federal minimum.
Housing and rental costs have risen dramatically in the decade since the ‘Great Recession’, Second Nexus pointed out. But the situation has been made worse by Trump administration attempts to cut federally-funded housing subsidies, while also requiring that low income people work in order to receive assistance.
Meanwhile, the city of Austin’s ordinance requiring employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave has been temporarily blocked from going into effect, according to the Texas Tribune.
The city voted in February to allow workers at most private businesses in the city to accrue up to 64 hours of paid sick leave annually. But the measure quickly drew opposition from local and state leaders, leading to a lawsuit being filed in April by the right-leaning Texas Public Policy Foundation, which claimed the measure violated the Texas Minimum Wage Act.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
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It is impossible for any individual in a full-time, minimum wage job to afford a decent two-bedroom apartment in the US, according to a new report.
This situation holds true even in states where the minimum wage is as high as US$15 per hour, a study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition has revealed.
Nationally, workers need to earn at least US$17.60 to afford a one-bedroom apartment and US$22.10 if they want two bedrooms. But two thirds of US jobs pay less than US$20 per hour, which means that even people who make more than the minimum wage are still struggling to pay the rent. The assessment is based on the principle that 30% of an individual’s income goes towards housing.
Currently, the most expensive state in the Union is Hawaii, where workers would need to earn an estimated US$75,000 each year to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. In Arkansas, the state with the cheapest cost of living with regard to housing, they would still need to earn US$13.84 per hour. The current minimum wage in Arkansas is US$8.50.
A one-bedroom apartment is currently considered affordable for residents of just five states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. In all of these states, the minimum wage is at least US$7.25, which is the current Federal minimum.
Housing and rental costs have risen dramatically in the decade since the ‘Great Recession’, Second Nexus pointed out. But the situation has been made worse by Trump administration attempts to cut federally-funded housing subsidies, while also requiring that low income people work in order to receive assistance.
Meanwhile, the city of Austin’s ordinance requiring employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave has been temporarily blocked from going into effect, according to the Texas Tribune.
The city voted in February to allow workers at most private businesses in the city to accrue up to 64 hours of paid sick leave annually. But the measure quickly drew opposition from local and state leaders, leading to a lawsuit being filed in April by the right-leaning Texas Public Policy Foundation, which claimed the measure violated the Texas Minimum Wage Act.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
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