Tackling the Affordability Crisis

Although nationally, Iowa is well ranked on affordability, there is no way to deny that we are feeling the impact of stagnant wages and increased prices, from the grocery store, to home improvement, to childcare costs. A major part of affordability is raising Iowa’s minimum wage to a true living wage. No one working full time should be unable to afford a basic, stable life.

We as Iowans deserve to be protected from price gouging and in the state house, I will fight to ban it. We cannot allow huge corporations to nickel and dime us under the guise of inflation, just to keep prices high once they have become normalized.

Expanding infrastructure for and access to public transit, especially for Iowans who don't live in Des Moines, will help more low income Iowans be able to access other forms of transportation, and have greater access to jobs across the state.

I believe that healthcare should be a fundamental human right, not a luxury, which is why I will fight to bring in as many federal dollars as possible to fund Medicare and Medicaid expansions, to give more Iowans access to essential healthcare services and increase access to healthcare in rural areas, especially as we have seen many rural hospitals close. I believe that we all need to work together to make Iowa more affordable for families and individuals, as cost of living is a major contributor to those who may be looking to move to our great state.

I also believe that the minimum wage is far below what is needed to actually be able to live. There is nowhere in Iowa where there is affordable housing for a single minimum wage worker to be able to live on their own or with their family. I want to work to get the minimum wage up to a living wage that is tied to inflation, as well as to fight for families trying to buy a home, instead of large corporations looking to make profits off of a basic human need.