Catherwood LibraryILR School

Various unions around the United States are increasingly focusing on housing affordability issues and living costs continue to rise. Workers must deal with increases in house prices and rent costs, as well as greater interest rates and levels of inflation. The lack of affordable housing forces workers to live far away from their work locations, and many workers have to commute over an hour each way. This issue has affected workers all around America, including areas in Los Angeles, the Twin Cities, and San Francisco. Hundreds of workers have been evicted from their homes because their wages cannot cover rent costs. A law passed last year in Tacoma, Washington that was supported by the United Food and Commercial union and other unions requires landlords to provide relocation assistance to tenants who experience wage increases greater than five percent. The law also prohibits evicting workers in the winter months and bans evictions during the school year for students and educators. Other unions around the country have increased down payment assistance, and lobbied for the construction of subsidized teacher housing and limits on rent increases.