Living in WNC is getting harder for workers

20 Smoky Mountain News

Opinion Living in WNC is getting harder for workers

The affordable housing crisis looms as this region’s most pressing problem. And so far, no one has proposed any kind of sweeping proposal that will solve it.

The numbers that back this up are out there for anyone willing to do just a little research. The Dogwood Health Trust — the foundation created by the proceeds of the Mission Hospital sale to HCA Healthcare — released a report back in December that painted the picture and backed it up with numbers.

By 2025, the region will need 20,000 more units for lowincome households; of that number, 14,000 will be needed in just Buncombe, Haywood and Henderson counties. The study — done by Bowen National Research — also found that 48 percent of households in Buncombe County are already costburdened when it comes to housing. That means a household pays more than 30 percent of its income just to pay for a place to live, before they’ve bought food, cars, heating fuel, health insurance, etc.; nearly two-thirds in Buncombe County are “severely cost-burdened,” meaning they pay half or more of their income toward housing costs.

One more heartbreaking stat: nearly 60 percent of households in this region don’t have the minimum $40,000 income needed to afford the average monthly rent on a one-bedroom apartment, which is $1,069 a month. Some of these numbers are for Buncombe County, but things are much the same in the region west of Asheville. The fact is there are fewer rentals and not as many professional jobs, so the problem is exacerbated.

The rental market is one story, while those wanting to buy face an even steeper hill to climb. Here’s a paragraph from Canopy Multiple Listing Service — which covers Burke, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties — that was released last week: Scott McLeod Editor Tight inventory continues to pressure prices, which continued to rise. Both the median sales price ($375,000) and the average sales price ($449,120) rose by 17.3 percent and 14 percent year-overyear, while the average list price rose 3.3 percent year-over-year to $476,967.

To afford that $375,000 house, according to several on-line mortgage calculators, you’ll need a down payment of $75,000 (20%) and earnings of $55,955 per year. Those houses are simply out of reach for most people in this region.

Sit around any coffee shop or pub and talk to the young workers of this region, and they are fretting about how they’ll ever be able to get into a house. So, what solutions have been discussed? Is it even feasible to think the private sector can solve this problem?

There are several efforts underway from local governments to force new developers of apartment complexes to allocate a portion of their projects for affordable housing needs. Good idea, but just a drop in the bucket. Projects like the old hospital in Waynesville will help seniors — which is great — but again, the crisis is so large these few projects will barely make a dent.

Commissioners in Buncombe County are talking about changing the room tax legislation to allocate a portion of that revenue — which comes from tourists who stay overnight — toward affordable housing and other projects. Some are suggesting the county take up to 50 percent of the room tax. Buncombe rakes in about $41 million a year.

I’m not sure what the answer is, but there are some of us who think affordable housing is likely this region’s most pressing issue. If workers can’t find a place to live, the businesses looking for workers likely won’t find them. Something has to give. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

Your primary vote is important

To the Editor:

Decisions made at all levels of government (President and Congress in Washington, D.C., General Assembly in Raleigh and county commissioners, sheriffs, courts, etc.) affect our daily lives. All federal laws passed by the U.S. Congress directly impact us in our local communities. How our N.C. representatives and senators vote on issues such as fracking, Medicaid expansion, education, etc. , is critical.

Every four years we vote for a U.S. President as well as for Congress and local officials. Every two years the midterm elections are held that come near the middle of each president’s term. It is important to vote in this year’s midterm because it promises to have a large affect on the direction of the country.

Why are midterm elections so important? Whoever controls the House and/or the Senate controls the direction of the country. The majority party determines who leads important congressional committees. A president’s ability to accomplish his or her agenda depends on whether their party controls the two houses of Congress.

Most of the attention of midterm elections is focused on the two chambers of Congress: the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Members of the House are elected for two-year terms, so all 435 seats are up for election during the midterms. Senators are elected to staggered six-year terms. A third of the 100 seats will be up for election in the 2022 midterm elections. North Carolina will be electing one U.S. senator this year for the position of Sen. Richard Burr, who is not running for re-election.

This year’s midterms are critical for a few more reasons, according to political experts. For one, they serve as a thermometer that can forecast the temperature of the next presidential election. But more importantly, they could deliver both the Senate and House to the Republican Party. Currently, the Democrats have a razor-thin majority in the Senate because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to cast a tie-breaking vote. The House is also currently under Democratic control. The Democrats risk losing this majority unless they turn out for this election.

Please vote in the upcoming primary election. Early voting started April 28 and goes through May 14. The primary election day is May 17. Be an informed voter. Don’t believe the negative ads you see on TV or what is mailed to you. If the person running for office is currently serving, check out their voting record. If they have not been in office, check out their platform and look at what they have done in their lives.

Your vote is important in selecting our next senator and member of the House of Representatives as well as judges, as their actions affect all of our everyday lives. Regardless of what party you are or what candidates you support, please exercise your right to vote by absentee ballot, early voting or on the Primary Election Day May 17. Your future as well as the future of your children and grandchildren is at stake.

LETTERS Inflation hurts consumers and small businesses

To the Editor:

Is inflation eating into your budget? Is your small business struggling to stay open? High prices at the grocery checkout or the gas pump are likely the result of huge corporations passing along costs to you because they can.

Sure, there are other factors affecting the economy such as supply chain issues and restrictions due to the war in Ukraine. But more and more data show that big corporations are passing along any new costs to consumers and then some.

Consider the price of meat. Did you know that the majority of meat processing (beef, chicken, and pork) is controlled by four giant corporations (Cargill, Tyson, JBS, National Beef Packing Co.)? When these corporations control that much of the market, they also control prices. Instead of absorbing new costs, they hike up prices and in return make more and more money for their shareholders. These four corporations reported a 120% collective jump in their gross profits since the pandemic.

What about toilet paper? Three corporations (Proctor & Gamble, Kimberly Clark and Georgia-Pacific) produce 80% of U.S. toilet paper. These corporations reap record profits, all the while passing along costs to consumers because they can.

If you have an Amazon Prime membership, then prepare to pay 16% more this year. Amazon says it is because of increased costs and inflation. This rationale seems pretty flimsy for a company that reported gross profits of $197.48 BILLION in 2021. That is $197,480,000,000 in profits in just one year. And it’s a 29.3% increase over profits reported for 2020.

When is enough profit enough? Consumers are hurting. The same applies for small businesses, too.

Huge corporations are raising prices because they can, because they have no competition. They are hurting consumers, small businesses and the U.S. economy all the while reaping higher and higher profits than ever before. Think about that the next time you pay for groceries.