This is your daily news rundown for Thursday, May 15. In this edition:
- Minimum wage workers in Utah would need a 156-hour work week to afford Utah's median rent, a report found
- You could adopt a pet for free as part of National Pet Month
- Over 100 Utahns spoke out against a proposed Medicaid work requirement
Minimum wage workers would need a 156-hour work week to afford Utah’s median rent
Utahns making minimum wage would need to work over 150 a week to afford a median-cost apartment on their own, a new report finds.
Redfin, an online realtor, defines an apartment as affordable if a renter making minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour in Utah, can spend no more than 30% of their income on rent.
Under those conditions, minimum wage workers in Utah would need to work 156 hours a week to afford the median rent price of $1,473, according to data pulled from two realtor sites and the U.S. Department of Labor.
That nearly-impossible work schedule — just 12 hours less than the total number of hours in a week — is slightly lower for Utah compared to last year, but significantly higher than the national average of 106 hours a week.
The report noted that it was not accounting for ways to reduce housing expenses like living with roommates or family, and was meant instead as a thought experiment to highlight the housing affordability gap for minimum wage workers.
Here’s how you can adopt a pet for free as part of National Pet Month
You could adopt a pet for free in West Jordan this weekend as part of National Pet Month.
Walmart and the pet food brand Blue Buffalo are covering all pet adoption fees at a Best Friends Animal Society event this weekend, where cats and dogs of an array of breeds and sizes will be available to take home free of charge.
The event will take place at the West Jordan Walmart Supercenter on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pet lovers can also enter a giveaway contest either at the event or online for a chance to win free pet food for a year.
Those who can’t attend the event can still adopt a new furry friend at the Best Friend Animal Society’s Kanab Sanctuary for free throughout the month of May in honor of National Pet Month.
For more information, visit the Best Friends Animal Society’s website.
Utahns speak out against a proposed Medicaid work requirement
More than 100 Utahns spoke out against Utah’s proposed Medicaid work requirements at a public hearing by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday.
The proposed changes would require individuals seeking Medicaid to register for work through the state, complete training evaluation and modules, and apply for employment with at least 48 potential employers.
Exceptions would be made for those who are over 60 years old, pregnant, working 30 hours a week, or have extenuating circumstances.
Public commenters, both in-person and on Zoom, expressed concern for those who may become ineligible but need Medicaid to survive, especially those with extra barriers such as immigrants, incarcerated people, and those with disabilities.
Similar changes to Medicaid are being considered at the federal level.
