Apartments for rent sign. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Minimum wage earners in Lethbridge need to work 50 hours/week to afford rent

Jul 18, 2019 | 11:14 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge is one of the country’s most affordable cities to rent, but you still need to work more than a standard 40 hours to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) looked into the “rental wage” for 795 neighbourhoods across the country to see just how affordable cities really are.

In order to be able to “afford” a rental unit, the CCPA says that no more than 30% of your total income goes towards rent payments. This is known at the “rental wage”.

The rental wage for a two-bedroom apartment in Lethbridge overall is $19/hour. With Alberta’s minimum wage being $15/hour, those at the bottom of the wage floor would have to work an average of 50 hours each week to be able to afford the same place.

The report breaks down prices across 11 neighbourhoods in the city.

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The “South-East” section is the most expensive with the rental wage being $20.60/hour, while the most affordable is the “North-Centre” at $17.44/hour.

Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge were the only Albertan communities studied in this report with Calgary being the priciest. The rental wage there is $27/hour with minimum wage earners needing at least 72 hours of work a week.

Due in part to British Columbia having a lower minimum wage than Ontario, Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada for renters.

Those earning the $12.65 minimum would have to work 112 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Vancouver, while their rental wage is $35/hour.

Lethbridge News Now reported on a similar National Rent Report Wednesday that was compiled by Rentals.ca and Bullpen Research and Consulting. It claimed that Lethbridge was the third most affordable city in the country for renters. More details here.