The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that a worker making minimum wage would need to work 99 hours each week to afford a one-bedroom apartment in their area. To afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30% of their income on rent, a full-time worker needs to earn at least $22.10 an hour. Just as equality, freedom, liberty, and justice are fundamental American democratic values, so also is adequate housing a fundamental human right. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has resources like advocacy guides and a questionnaire for political candidates. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development should have information on affordable housing programs and homeless assistance providers for your area, as should your local Public Housing Authority and your city or state office of housing. If you haven’t already done so, join the movement to assure that the people with the lowest income in the U.S. have affordable and decent homes.
— Habib Todd Boerger