Affordability Crisis Hits Middle Class Families

Policies favoring the wealthy make it harder for working families to make ends meet.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The author, a middle-class nonprofit leader from Raleigh, describes the growing affordability crisis facing working families like hers. Despite having a master's degree and a modest home, the author struggles to afford basics like food, healthcare, and childcare as costs rise faster than wages. The author argues that policy decisions favoring the wealthy, such as massive tax cuts and the rollback of social safety net programs, are exacerbating the problem for middle-class Americans.

Why it matters

The affordability crisis is impacting millions of middle-class families across the country, forcing them to make difficult choices about basic necessities like housing, food, and healthcare. This trend threatens to undermine the economic security of the middle class and raises concerns about growing inequality.

The details

The author describes her own struggles to afford essentials like groceries, utilities, and medical care, even with a steady job and modest home. She has resorted to using community aid programs and accepting expired food to feed her family. The author argues that policy decisions, such as massive tax cuts for the wealthy and the rollback of social safety net programs, have exacerbated the problem for middle-class Americans.

  • In 2019, the author's family was struggling to afford basics like food and housing.
  • The author recently faced a potential job loss, which would mean losing employer-provided health insurance.
  • Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are expected to cost the average U.S. family an additional $1,300 this year.

The players

Lindsay K. Saunders

A mother, nonprofit leader, and RESULTS expert on poverty from Raleigh.

President Donald Trump

The president whose policies are making it harder for working families to get by, according to the author.

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What they’re saying

“Affordability is a crisis that keeps millions of us awake at night. It is not, as President Donald Trump claims, a word Democrats 'made up.'”

— Lindsay K. Saunders, Nonprofit leader (wilsontimes.com)

“While many in Washington point to record stock market highs as proof of a booming economy, those gains don't reflect the reality at my kitchen table. A rising Dow Jones doesn't pay for a child's doctor visit or lower the price of eggs. For families like mine, the economy isn't measured by a ticker, but by our bank balance.”

— Lindsay K. Saunders, Nonprofit leader (wilsontimes.com)

What’s next

The author calls for restoring and expanding the social safety net to help working families afford basic necessities like housing, food, and healthcare.

The takeaway

The affordability crisis is a growing problem for middle-class families, driven by policy decisions that favor the wealthy over working Americans. Restoring and expanding the social safety net is crucial to helping families make ends meet in the face of rising costs and stagnant wages.