In the Tribune’s continued coverage of Utah’s housing crisis, there is much written about the proposals to change zoning laws, the process of developing affordable housing units, or about building shelters for the homeless.

What isn’t mentioned are the measures the Utah Legislature takes to deny a raise of the minimum wage, which keeps the average Utahn unable to meet the gap of higher housing costs even if these developers keep on developing until there is no land left.

When people are increasingly unable to live at the rate their employers give them, we will make no progress, more people will lose their homes, and we will continue to waste money on ineffective programs.

Movements like the Fight for 15, The Poor People’s Campaign, and Utahns for Fair Wages are left out of these conferences and discussions, while business developers instead opt to dish out their money for advertising campaigns and high consulting fees to bring in people from out of state to give them advice and short-term solutions.

The answer to our pending crisis is simple. The problem is that our lawmakers are too stubborn to give hard-working people the money they need in order to survive.

Brinley Froelich, Salt Lake City