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The current state of rent prices in the United States has rendered them unaffordable for many low-wage earners.
A full-time worker in the U.S. must earn an average of $28.58 per hour to afford the rent of a modest two-bedroom apartment in their local area. In high-cost states like California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York, the hourly wage required increases to over $40. Such workers would need to make $61.31 per hour in San Francisco and $50.67 per hour in Boston, according to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).
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The NLIHC report emphasizes that no minimum wage earner can afford a two-bedroom apartment in any state, county, or city in the U.S.
With more than a third of households in the country being renters, Andrew Aurand, the senior vice president of research at NLIHC, states, “This is a problem. Research shows that families struggling to pay their housing costs sacrifice other necessities like food, health care, and educational needs.”
Wages haven’t kept up with rising rents
Experts point out that the slow growth of the minimum wage across the country is a key factor contributing to the unattainability of rents for many workers.
For over a decade, the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant at $7.25, and numerous states, including Texas, Indiana, and Idaho, have failed to pass laws increasing that number.
Even in states and cities with minimum wages double the national figure, rents remain unaffordable. For instance, in Washington state, where the minimum wage is $15.74, a full-time worker would need to earn over $36.33 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment, according to the NLIHC.
Dan Rose, an organizer with Housing Justice Now in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, recounts the plight of tenants being compelled to leave an affordable housing complex in their area.
Rose explains, “When these tenants searched for alternative rentals, they were unable to find any suitable two-bedroom units.”
“Overall, the rental situation leaves renters here barely staying afloat or drowning,” he adds.
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