Kevin Johnson should focus on affordable housing and income inequality here in Sacramento

Kevin Johnson joined more than 30 other U.S. mayors on Monday in New York City to talk about income inequality. They touted a new report that showed how jobs are up since the recession, but actual wages are down. And that there’s not enough affordable housing. And so on. This was odd, because K.J. seldom, if ever, talks about inequality back here in Sacto. But he should.

Maybe start with housing. Lately in the central city, developers submit plans for new lofts and luxury apartments seemingly every week. But will the Sacramentans who've lived downtown and in Midtown during the past decades be able to afford “the grid” of the future?

A friend recently got a new Midtown apartment. He owns his own business and works crazy hours right here in the urban core, but still can hardly afford to live on the grid (a decent one bedroom with laundry facilities goes for at least $1,100 these days).

Is that affordable? According to housing experts, you need to make at least $55,000 a year to afford that kind of rent. How many baristas, single moms, painters, deejays, bartenders, hairstylists, servers, designers, underemployed dads, writers, retail workers, recovering addicts or bicycle technicians bring in that kind of money?

I agree that we need to see another 10,000 people living in the urban core over the next decade. That's our future. But “market-rate housing,” as it's called, of $1,200-$1,700 a month for a one bedroom won't work for most of us.

Activists have a protest planned this week for more affordable housing around the Sacramento Kings arena project. City leaders should get on this train; we need our low-income residents—they keep the grid alive.

Let's see if K.J. is ready to walk the inequality walk right here on his home court.