Minimum Wage Increases Mean Nothing Without Affordable Housing
To the Elected Officials Responsible for Wage and Housing Policy in British Columbia,
Raising the minimum wage may look like progress on paper, but it does not reflect the lived reality of single adults trying to survive in this province.
Let’s speak honestly.
If a person works full-time at minimum wage, they may earn roughly $3,000 a month before deductions. After taxes, that drops closer to $2,500. When average one-bedroom rents are around $2,400 in many urban areas, that leaves virtually nothing for food, transportation, utilities, phone service, medical expenses, clothing, or emergencies.
There is no room for savings.
There is no room for stability.
There is no room for dignity.
This situation affects:
Young adults just starting out
Older single adults with no dual income support
People transitioning off social assistance
Workers in essential but low-wage jobs
Telling people to “budget better” is not a solution when 90–100% of their income goes to rent. The math does not work. It is structurally impossible.
Housing is no longer functioning as shelter first. It has become a financial asset class. Meanwhile, wages increase slowly and cautiously, while rents respond instantly to market pressures. Wages crawl. Housing sprints. People fall behind.
A minimum wage increase without meaningful housing reform is not economic justice. It is a headline.
If the goal is stability, public health, reduced strain on social systems, and a functioning workforce, then housing affordability must be tied directly to income reality. Otherwise, you are asking single working adults to live permanently on the edge of insolvency.
A society should not require roommates, debt, or family wealth simply to survive full-time work.
Please address the gap between wages and housing costs with the seriousness it deserves. Because this is not about luxury. It is about basic shelter and human dignity.
Respectfully,
Tina Winterlik
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