After much turmoil and deliberation, Congress recently raised the federal mini-mum wage to $5.85 per hour, which equates to an annual salary of about $11,700, barely above the federal poverty guideline of $10,210 for a single person. In Northern Virginia, where the average monthly rent for an efficiency apartment is nearly $900, a person earning the minimum wage cannot afford basic housing, much less food and other necessities.
(more…)