A petition calling on Coachella Valley leaders to address the stark gap between the region’s high cost of living and the minimum wage has surpassed 1,000 signatures and continues to gain support.
The online petition is an opportunity for residents to express their support for all Coachella Valley households to earn enough money to afford a decent place to live and thrive in this beautiful place we call home. It notes that in a region with beautiful landscapes known as a tourist destination, a “harsh reality” exists where more than half of residents struggle to pay rent.
“As a consequence, many families, especially from marginalized communities, live on the edge, where a single unplanned expense can disrupt their basic living,” the letter states.
Copies of the letter along with the names of more than 1,000 signers were delivered to Coachella Valley mayors city council members on August 2.
A living wage means enough money for a family to maintain normal standards of living, including housing and all other essential expenses. In Riverside County, a household needs to earn at least $33.67 per hour to afford a 2-bedroom market rate apartment, but the average wage among renters in the county is only $19.21 per hour, according to a 2023 report.
Workers in leisure and hospitality, despite being the backbone of the Coachella Valley economy, earned the lowest average pay of any job sector, just $37,504 per year, according to the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership 2023 Economic Report. Retail and service jobs were the next two lowest paid job sectors.
Resident leaders, who are the backbone of our coalition, consistently voice concerns about the two sides of the affordability equation: rising housing costs and low wages. That’s why it is critical that we not only build more affordable housing in the Coachella Valley but also see to it that people’s incomes keep up with the higher cost of living.