 | Living without a safety net: Emergency needs can create crisis
Spring 2006, St. Paul Foundation's Enrichments
In many ways, low-income East Metro residents are having a harder time than ever making sure their families’ basic needs are met. Over the last decade, the average worker’s salary has risen 9 percent, while the average worker’s rent went up 34 percent.
With a limited amount of affordable housing available, families are forced to pay larger percentages of their household incomes for shelter. And when a household budget is stretched to the limit, one setback can touch off a cascade of problems: A car breakdown requiring an unaffordable repair can keep a breadwinner from getting to work on time, which can causethe loss of her job, which can lead to the family being evicted from their apartment.
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