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Ismael Cortes Estrada poses for a photo holding one of the signs advocates used in the campaign for updating the city's minimum wage law, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

SANTA FE, N.M. – Santa Fe has long referred to itself as “The City Different” for its distinct atmosphere and a blending of cultures that stretches back centuries. Now, it's trying something different — something officials hope will prevent a cultural erosion as residents are priced out of their homes.

It's the first city in the United States to directly link wages to housing affordability, aiming to counter high rents by tying minimum wage increases to consumer prices as well as fair market rental pric

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