- WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP ON STASTATEMENTS CANDIDATES HAVE ME
ON OUR PROGRAM.
THIS WEEK PAUL SOGLIN AND HOUSING.
- WHEN IT COMES TO THE ECONOMY, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR
GOVERNOR PAUL SOGLIN RECENTLY TOLD "HERE AND NOW" THAT
AFFORDABLE HOUSING MUST COME FIRST.
- WHETHER YOU HAVE A JOB, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, ALL THE
OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A ROBUST FAMILY, IF THERE IS
NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE EFFORTS IN THESE OTHER AREAS
GENERALLY FAIL.
- SO LET'S LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
IN WISCONSIN.
A RECENT REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL LOW-INCOME HOUSING
COALITION LOOKS AT WHAT RENTERS PAY COMPARED WITH WHAT THEY
EARN.
ONE-THIRD OF WISCONSIN'S HOUSEHOLDS ARE RENTERS.
THE AVERAGE FAIR MARKET RENT FOR A TWO-BEDROOM HOME IN WISCONSIN
IS $859.
SO LET'S SAY YOU'RE THE AVERAGE RENTER.
NOW, THESE ESTIMATES ARE ASSUMING THAT YOU'RE NOT
SPENDING YOUR ENTIRE PAYCHECK ON RENT.
YOU MAKE $13.35 AN HOUR AND IN ORDER TO AFFORD A TWO-BEDROOM
HOME, YOU WOULD HAVE TO WORK 50 HOURS A WEEK.
NOW LET'S SAY YOU EARN MINIMUM WAGE, WHICH IN WISCONSIN IS
$7.25 AN HOUR.
IN ORDER TO AFFORD THAT SAME TWO-BEDROOM HOME, YOU WOULD HAVE
TO WORK 91 HOURS A WEEK.
THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LANDSCAPE ALSO CHANGES WITH THE ACTUAL
LANDSCAPE.
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE ONCE AFFORDABLE TO LOW-INCOME
RESIDENTS ARE BEING UPROOTED BY HIGHER INCOME EARNERS.
AS AMENITIES IN URBAN AREAS IMPROVE, HOUSING COSTS RISE.
WE LOOKED AT THE DANE COUNTY METROPOLITAN AREA AS AN EXAMPLE.
IN 2018, THE AVERAGE FAIR MARKET RENT FOR A TWO-BEDROOM IN THIS
AREA WAS $1,072.
BUT ONLY FOUR YEARS AGO, THAT AVERAGE WAS $164 CHEAPER.
SOME SAY THESE MEASUREMENTS ARE TOO SIMPLISTIC AND THAT
DISPARITIES IN HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT, TRANSPORTATION AND
OTHER FACTORS HAVE TO WEIGH IN.
FOR THESE AND OTHER FAST FACTS, VISIT WPT.ORG.