It’s a Housing Problem

[Behavior] is not the fundamental issue when rent for a two-bedroom is $1,100 and someone is making minimum wage… It’s a housing problem, and you need a housing solution,” he said. “At the end of the day, the working poor in this city do not make enough without some sort of subsidized housing.

Indeed – do the math. At $7.15 an hour, Guzman’s full-time job grosses only $13,728 (figuring 48 work weeks at 40 hours per). That alone doesn’t cover his rent of $1,170 per month in Bushwick (and that’s before taxes). A second income gets the family to 50% of their income going towards rent.