Fact: In 2001, 4.8 million low to moderate income working families spent more than 1/2 of their income on housing. By 2010, this number had jumped to 9.5 million – just shy of doubling in just 9 years. Over time people are not making enough each year to keep pace with rising living costs.
Fact: The rising cost of living in the United States, from rent and mortgages to utilities and property taxes, are far out-pacing income growth in most cities in the country. Despite states’ efforts, there is no county in the country where an individual can work 40 hours per week at the minimum wage and afford even a one-bedroom apartment at the local fair market rent.
Fact: There is something you can do.
This summer, my wife and I are joining 31 other young adults in a cross-country trip from Virginia Beach, VA to Canon Beach, OR to help combat the problem of poverty housing in the United States. We'll be a part of an organization called Bike and Build (website here) that is also organizing 7 other cross-country trips, all for the purpose of raising money and awareness for affordable housing organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together.
While we're out on the road, we'll be stopping in communities across the U.S. to talk about the housing crisis, providing people with information on what they can do to help in their own towns. Though raising awareness is a crucial part of our mission, we're also dedicated to helping ourselves. On a regular basis, we'll be stopping in towns along the way to trade in our bikes for hammers and help local groups build homes that will one day go to a family in need.
Along with our efforts during our ride, each Bike and Build participant is required to put in a great deal of work before hand. Over the next several months, I'll be working with a local Habitat for Humanity group, spending some time on a construction site and educating myself on the cause. Most importantly though, I need to raise $4,100 before May 27th of this year. The money goes to help support us on the road (gas in the van, food in our mouthes), but the primary purpose of the fundraising is to donate it to affordable housing organizations across the country.
Do donate, please visit my Bike and Build page here and click the "Donate" button. You can also visit my wife's page here. Please consider splitting your donation between the two of us so we can both meet our goals!
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