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I quit:ubIE t_rc wtl7 1'i c: 1k c]Y tl'7c 1R eairc h I'iiiang� Ie Re &n 11c]licyl iiil <urid III NI Target spending and investments to support regional equity initiatives of local governments, school districts, nonprofits, and businesses. Focus on providing affordable housing and well- connected transit systems to link residents — particularly in rural counties — to employment centers. Take measures to prevent better - connected low- income households in central cities from displacement. Connect underrepresented workers to good jobs and careers household incomes and spending. At $7.25 per hour, North Carolina's minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum, and conservative estimates suggest that North Carolina families need more than twice that much to make ends meet. North Carolina's local governments have passed living wage laws to ensure that city and county governments pay their employees enough to cover their basic expenses, and seven localities have done s0.4 Durham's law, for example, sets the minimum wage at through targeted local hiring strategies, apprenticeship 7.5 percent above the poverty level, currently $12.17 per hour.' programs, and post- secondary job- training programs. Certification is another approach: just Economics runs a Living • Remove barriers and implement strategies to help minority- Wage Certification Program that has identified and promoted owned businesses expand. This can create employment pathways for people who are jobless because these firms tend to hire more employees of color and people living in the in the community. • Leverage the economic power of large anchor institutions, like hospitals and universities, for community economic development. These anchors can develop intentional strategies to hire jobseekers facing barriers to employment, create on- the -job training opportunities, and purchase more goods and services from local- and minority -owned businesses who provide local jobs, as Cleveland's anchor effort has done. Support policies that expand job opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, such as Durham's successful campaign to Ban the Box (see below). These policies remove questions about criminal convictions and incarceration at initial stages of the hiring process, so that employers first get an opportunity to learn about a candidate's experience rather than automatically ruling the person out. Raise wages and increase financial security Policies that ensure strong and rising wages, especially for low - wage earners, can reduce working poverty and increase financial security, while bolstering the economy by increasing more than 300 companies that pay at least $12.50 an hour. Portland, Oregon, has promoted the growth of Certified B Corporations: companies that meet standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.6 Outside of North Carolina, some jurisdictions have incentivized living wages in their criteria for government contracts or economic development subsidies. Municipalities in the region should consider these tools to raise the floor for its low -wage workers and ensure employers it does business with are providing good jobs. Additionally, there are several other tools to boost financial security, such as providing children's savings accounts that give low- income children a way to save for college or retirement, or ensuring all families have access to a mainstream bank account. Municipalities should also make strides in addressing wealth gaps by creating programs to save or invest their earned income tax credits (EITC), similar to the Save USA program in New York City, which allows qualifying recipients the opportunity to save and earn returns on their savings. 7 Finally, tax policies should be reformed to shift away from reliance on regressive sales tax and more toward progressive income taxes. Build communities of opportunity throughout the region All neighborhoods throughout the region should provide their residents with the ingredients they need to thrive, and also open up opportunities for low- income people and people of color to live in neighborhoods that are rich in opportunity (and from which they've historically been excluded). Coordinating transportation, housing, and economic development investments in ways that expand opportunity for struggling urban neighborhoods and rural areas is an important strategy to address geographic disparities in the region. Counties throughout the region — particularly those facing the highest rates of rent burden — need to provide much more affordable rental housing in order to provide low -wage workers with an opportunity to live near work and reduce their commute time