Cities across the country are still adjusting to the impact of COVID-19, and among them, New Orleans has been one of the hardest regions hit. Black communities in the city have been disproportionately impacted during the pandemic. Now, fellow New Orleans natives Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams of Cash Money Records have partnered with Mayor LaToya Cantrell to cover rent payments this month for residents living in low-income housing. As co-founders and brothers who are well-known in their community, Slim and Birdman have committed to invest and give back to those whose struggle they resonate with. “We all need each other right now,” said Slim in an exclusive interview with Black Enterprise . “I’ve spoken to people over the last several weeks and the one thing that’s a common theme is that we’re all, in so many different ways in so many of the same ways, affected. There’s no one that’s not touched.” Since the Williams brothers founded their record label almost 25...

Rent prices have increased by two percent to four percent nationwide each year since 2011, according to CoreLogic. While gains in federal and state minimum wage rules have somewhat mitigated the bite for lower-wage earners in certain areas, it’s often not enough to compete with the rising cost of housing. Meanwhile, the population of renters has increased, forcing renters to compete for a finite supply of rental housing, which is already pricing out some people. Using data from the Joint Center of Housing Studies and the Economic Policy Institute, MagnifyMoney identified 16 cities where the median rent claims all of a minimum wage worker’s take-home pay, and then some. Let’s take a look at big cities that are more affordable and ones where the rent is too darn high. Key findings Austin, Texas, is the least affordable major U.S. city for minimum-wage workers. Austin’s median rent is equal to 143 percent of take-home pay at the minimum wage. The median rent in Austin is $1,220 per...