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Report: Arizona Minimum Wage Earners Would Need To Work 70 Hours A Week To Afford Housing

The cost of housing in Arizona continues to climb and a  new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows the gap between wages and housing costs is widening. 

Spending 30% of income or less on housing costs is what policymakers consider to be affordable. So to afford a two-bedroom home, the report says Arizonans now need to earn at least $21.10 per hour. That’s up more than $1.50 from last year. Minimum wage earners in Arizona would need to work 70 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom.

The report says housing has been becoming more out of reach for American workers for decades. Researchers expect the economic impacts of COVID-19 to exacerbate the issue.

→  (Un)Affordable: How Did Arizona End Up With A Housing Crisis?

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Katherine Davis-Young is a senior field correspondent reporting on a variety of issues, including public health and climate change.