As 2025 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on how much our community has weathered and accomplished together. The past year has been one of rebuilding and renewal across Western North Carolina – and Just Economics has been proud to stand alongside our neighbors, partners, and advocates as we continue to work for a more just and sustainable local economy.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, we have seen firsthand the deep connection between economic justice and disaster recovery. With your support, we’re ensuring that rebuilding efforts are equitable and that people most impacted are leading the way. Together, we are building power and resilience for the future.
In our Living Wage Certification Work, we:
- Certified 30 NEW Employers
- Recorded $346,000 in raises given to meet program criteria
- Hosted employer networking events in 3 counties
- Launched the ‘State of Work’ survey in Transylvania County
- Certified first Dual Certification with Living Wage for US—Congrats Living Roofs!
In our work on Affordable Housing, we:
- Continued to co-lead the Buncombe Affordable Housing Network
- Engaged in the leadership of Buncombe County Long-Term Recovery Groups
- Continued focus around rental assistance following Hurricane Helene
In our work to improve Public Transit, we:
- Hosted 2 Transit Table sessions to collect input from riders
- Led the Asheville Regional Transit Coalition’s work to bring together a wide range of community partners and voices around the future of Asheville transit
- Advocated with riders around the City of Asheville’s Comprehensive Operational Analysis plan for transit
In our work for Wages and Worker Justice, we:
- Continued advocating for higher wages for lowest paid City staff
- Co-organized a May Day rally
- Continued supporting solidarity actions supporting local labor unions
- Hosted screenings of film Partners, which covers the unionization efforts of Starbucks workers, in Asheville and Brevard
- Continued to convene the WNC Workers Assembly
In our Policy Advocacy Work, we:
- Successfully advocated for higher wages for the lowest paid workers at the City of Asheville
- Engaged deeply in statewide disaster recovery efforts and fighting for more rental assistance and small business grants
- Supported policy efforts put forth by our teams of people with lived experience in transit, housing and worker justice
In our Grassroots Education and Engagement work, we:
- Graduated a virtual Voices for Economic Justice cohort and an in person cohort!
- Facilitated four Poverty Simulations
- Presented informational and skill building workshops
The Living Wage Coalition of Transylvania County:
- Certified 9 NEW Employers
- Successfully advocated the City of Brevard to again raise its wages to a living wage.
- Fought alongside TCAE for school staff raises
- Launched the ‘State of Work’ survey in Transylvania County
- Entered a partnership with Sparkpoint to promote health & wellness in local economies through economic justice
This year, we also,
- Welcomed incredible new Community Organizers, Mike Holmes and Seimy Mendoza to the team!
- Hosted another great year of Just Brew It
- Participated in a Communication Intensive with the support of Dogwood Health Trust