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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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Let’s Talk About Living Wages in the Queen City

There’s been a flurry of minimum-wage-raising activity in Charlotte recently, which is certainly good news for the low-wage workers whose paychecks are increasing. But, is $15 an hour really a living wage?

May 17, 2019

There’s been a flurry of minimum-wage-raising activity in Charlotte recently, which is certainly good news for the low-wage workers whose paychecks are increasing.

Corporations and government wages are rising

Earlier this month, Bank of America raised its minimum wage for employees to $17 an hour, with plans to raise it to $20 by 2021.  The City of Charlotte’s new budget proposes raising the minimum wage for city workers to $16 an hour.  Mecklenburg County recently increased the minimum to $15 an hour for county employees.  Last summer, both Novant Health and Atrium Health increased their employees’ minimum wage to $12.50 an hour.

Consensus seems to be growing around the idea of $15 as a reasonable minimum hourly wage.  The Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582), which would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024, is making its way through Congress.  And in what is considered a victory by Fight for 15, which supports increasing the federal minimum wage,  McDonald’s announced in March that it will no longer lobby against raising the minimum wage.

But is $15 an hour really a living wage?

Person sorting money

The answer, it turns out, is a bit complicated.  A recent Spectrum News report, “Living Wages in North Carolina’s Largest Cities”, highlighted the differences in income needed to afford life’s basic necessities in our state, depending on geographic location and family makeup. 

The report refers to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, which estimates the cost of living in communities across the country based on typical expenses.

For example, in Mecklenburg County, a single adult could get by with $12.58 per hour.  But, in a family with two working adults and two children, each adult would need to make at least $15.67 per hour.  And a single parent with three children would need to earn $35.49 an hour just to meet the family’s basic needs.

So, while the recent minimum wage increases by local government and businesses are commendable, it’s important to recognize the difference between minimum wage and living wage.  What is sufficient income for one family may not stretch far enough for another.

Who is left out?

And although some low-wage employees will benefit from increases in the minimum wage, a lot of hardworking people are left out.   Many businesses hire contractors to perform duties such as landscaping and janitorial work; these contractors are not obligated to pay their laborers more than North Carolina’s minimum wage, which currently matches the $7.25 per hour federal minimum. 

A report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition last year demonstrated there’s not a single county in the entire nation where a full-time worker earning the $7.25 per hour minimum wage can afford a two-bedroom apartment.  Here in Charlotte, to afford that apartment, a worker would have to work 103 hours a week, the equivalent of two-and-a-half full-time jobs.

Filed Under: Advocacy Tagged With: #FactFriday, Community, Living Wage, Wages

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Crisis Assistance Ministry

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    Charlotte, NC 28206
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We are so #grateful for the team of dedicated #volunteers who volunteer their time & expertise on our Board of Directors. Today we welcome five newly elected members: Deborah Brewer, Yog Hari, Ed Holland, Deirdre John, and John Magnuson. (Learn about them through our linktree)

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We've got a special shout out to @championhouseofcare and @beyoubegreatnonprofit for their tireless commitment to helping the seniors displaced from Magnolia Apartments since Christmas Day. @CrisisAssistMin is proud to be working alongside these passionate grassroots organizations and @housingcollab_ to help craft individual plans to get our neighbors back into stable housing while ensuring their basic needs continue to be met.

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These community-minded Deltas celebrated Founder's Day last week by inspecting and preparing donated goods for Free Store shoppers. With their help, families shopping free of charge will find essentials to help them live with dignity this week.

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The King Center's theme for MLK Day 2023 is "It Start's With Me: Cultivating A Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems." Fifty-five years after his death, we still see the impacts of unjust systems every day at Crisis Assistance Ministry.  Read more in this weekend's blog (link in bio)

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Crisis Assistance Ministry will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of  Martin Luther King Day. The office will be closed to all customers, volunteers, staff, and donors. Typical hours resume on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

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Families in Charlotte, and across the country, are struggling to make ends meet. Inflation has outpaced wage growth. People are working harder than ever but still falling behind on rent and utilities. People need more money. But could we use policy to get more money into the hands of those who need it the most? This week's blog takes a look at the potential for Guaranteed Basic Income here in the Queen City. (Link in bio)
📷 courtesy of @stocktondemo

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Just one more day before we're back to "normal." So, @CrisisAssistMin is closed January 2, 2023,  and will return to typical business hours tomorrow, January 3.
(Financial assistance 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Free Store by appointment 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Donation drop off 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

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Wishing you hope, warmth, & light in the new year and beyond.
(P.S. @crisisassistmin will be closed tomorrow, January 2, and reopen with typical hours on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.)

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"Everybody wants to have that light shine."
Nikki shares what the holidays mean to her family as we reach the end of the year.  Looking back, she's grateful for the help of the community to get her through a financial crisis and back on her feet moving toward economic mobility.
Thousands more families will seek that same kind of help -- to stay safely housed, to keep utilities flowing, to provide clothing and household goods, and to rebuild financial stability -- in 2023.
Visit our quick links to learn more and to make a tax-deductible year-end gift to help more of our neighbors in the coming year.
Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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