Bit surprised to see that PA created the Affordable Housing Coalition (a coalition is always a joint venture by many, which was the case here as well) and that it happened in 1996. Groups formed the Affordable Housing Coalition in the late 80s. I would guess 1988/89. I wrote about the founders and key efforts in some reflections about Durham politics. Happy to send this to you.

And I would be remiss not to mention that the private/non-profit sector picked up the LW torch as well. In Durham, Matt Kopak helmed the Living Wage Project that identified and promoted local businesses that committed to paying a living wage to their employees. So the Durham LWO sent wage-raising ripples throughout the Triangle and NC.

The post about the Living Wage ordinance seems kind of thin, especially given that Durham was the first city in NC—and only the third in the country, after Baltimore and Richmond—to pass a LWO. Also, the ordinance not only applied to hundreds of employees of contractors but also required the city to declare and update a LW for about 300 city staff, to stay ahead of inflation. And because of the way PA pitched the LWO—as a tool that not only helped workers, but also helped small businesses hire better workers and take the load off of middle management—the Durham Chamber of Commerce was neutralized and stayed on the sidelines in this battle. Because the Chamber was sidelined, we were able to pass the ordinance with a super majority of council members. Last, this ordinance sparked a move to raise wages at Durham County government, Durham schools and local governments across NC.