Kudos to JM Family
As someone who has worked to develop affordable housing for the past 18 years, I was pleasantly surprised by the Aug. 6 story JM Family raises its minimum wage.
If most employers adopted a similar living-wage standard of $16 per hour, it would dramatically reduce the estimated 100,000 Miamians who are “housing burdened,” which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines as households paying 50 percent or more of total family income for housing cost. U.S. wages, especially in greater Miami, haven’t kept pace with increased housing costs.
To effectively reduce this housing crisis, we must employ a multi-pronged strategy including: funding construction of more affordable housing units; adopting inclusionary zoning policies; and establishing living wages.
I challenge other employers to follow JM’s leadership.
Doug Mayer, Miami
This story was originally published August 11, 2015 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Kudos to JM Family."