Story by Kristen Brewer
On any given Thursday, UNC student Juli Boerema is up for 18 hours straight, working to keep herself afloat in what studies say is one of the most expensive counties in North Carolina.
“On Thursdays, I have PT from 0545 to about 7 am. After that, I have LLAB, which is the Air Force Lead Lab from 8:30 to 10:30. We have debrief from 10:30 to 11, class from 11 to 12:30 for our Aerospace class, for ROTC, and then from 12:30, which is 15 minutes after that Aero class ends, I have class until 1:45. Then, I have class from 2:00 to 3:15, then I have class from 3:30 to 4:45, and then I’m in at work at about 5:30. I work until about 9:45 or 10, then I come home and do all my homework after that,” Boerema said.
Boerema relies on the money she makes from the Air Force and the restaurant to pay the high prices of everyday items.
“But that extends to a lot of food shopping, tracking different food prices…where to go for certain foods. Another place I’ve seen that is paying rent. Our rent went up $50 this past year, which is a big increase for someone like me,” Boerema said.
While forecasts for 2024 have presented lower rates of inflation, high prices are here to stay.
“We would think that the prices ought to come back down since we’re back to some normal level of the economy. Well, what’s happened is prices have found kind of a new level and they’re kind of staying there,” said Chip Snively UNC professor.
And that new level proves to be a burden for those struggling to meet the high prices of food and housing.
“Inflation is falling in some sectors but it’s not falling in housing, it’s not falling in food, um it’s not falling in medical care, you know that those are areas that are continuing to inflate,” said
Blake Rosser Interim Director at Orange County Housing Department.
And as Americans prepare to continue to meet these high prices, so is that Americans will begin to prepare their decisions for the 2024 presidential election.
“Politics definitely affects how much things cost and as a conscientious voter, you have to keep that in mind,” Boerema said.
Here at the Stone Center, Orange County voters were able to participate in the 2023 municipal elections where one of the issues on the ballot was affordable housing. If that’s any indication for the 2024 presidential election cycle, voters are considering their wallets, high prices, and inflation. I’m Kristen Snyder, reporting.
