But he's not asking the man to get a high paying job. He's wondering why he can't get a low paying job and rent out a cheap room. This man is single, young, and otherwise healthy with no dependents. In that situation it is certainly possible to live off minimum wage.
>> "In many regions, there aren't any cheap rooms -- not cheap enough to afford one on near-minimum wage."
I find that hard to believe. Even in London, where rent is expensive, minimum wage would be enough for a room (not a great one but not a horrible one either) and food. Minimum wage here is £6.50 but even assuming £5 p/h that's £800 per month. You can definitely find a room for £400-500 p/m. Maybe the situation is different in the US but London is one of the most expensive cities in the world and the effects of the recession are still a lot more obvious here than in the US where the economy has been doing much better.
