If you’re not earning at least $22.10 an hour, you can’t afford to live in Asheville. That’s according to Just Economics of WNC, which last month updated its living wage rate for Buncombe County. It climbed $2 an hour in less than a year.

My guests today are Vicki Meath, Director of Just Economics, and Jen Hampton, the organization’s Housing and Wages Organizer. Just Economics has a living wage certification program that only a fraction of local employers participate in. We talk about the struggles facing Asheville's workers amid increased cost of living and tiny wage increases. We also talk about their advocacy for affordable housing, the importance of supporting businesses that do pay a living wage and signs of hope on the horizon.

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