the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Apr 25, 2022
Average monthly rents in the U.S. increased 14.1% last year, according to Redfin, a real estate firm. Rents were up over 30% in many major cities. Because of skyrocketing rents, there is not a single state, metro area, or county in the United States where a typical minimum-wage worker can afford a rental, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
In Austin, Texas, rents are up 40%. In Los Angeles, where 54% of the households are renters, a worker needs to earn an hourly wage of close to $31 to rent a one-bedroom apartment and close to $40 to rent a two-bedroom apartment. The minimum wage in Los Angeles is slated to go to $16 per hour in July. How does this compute?! Right. It doesn’t!