Affordable rental housing is out of reach for many in Illinois

Minimum Wage protests in 2021 — The Dome of the U.S. Capitol is visible during a $15 minimum wage rally held by One Fair Wage, advocates for restaurant workers, on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons

Affordable rental housing is out of reach for millions of low-wage workers

A new report examines the gap between wages and affordable rent in Illinois and across the country.

The Dome of the U.S. Capitol is visible during a $15 minimum wage rally held by One Fair Wage, advocates for restaurant workers, on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.

Andrew Hartnik | AP

By Nadia Hernandez

Chicago-area renters must make at least $50,000 a year, or work two jobs at minimum wage, to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. That’s according to a new study by Housing Action Illinois and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Reset discusses the causes of and solutions to the lack of affordable rental housing in Chicago and Illinois, and opens the phone lines to hear from listeners about their experiences with rent.

GUEST: Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois