All across our region, families are working hard, but still walking a financial tightrope. According to data from a statewide project called ALICE®, nearly 117,000 households in the Greater Lehigh Valley, or 42%, are struggling to afford the barebones essentials.

This data project was launched by the United Way of Pennsylvania and supported by a network of statewide United Ways, including United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. The full report, plus an executive summary of COVID-19 impacts, an interactive map, the ALICE experience, and more are available at www.uwp.org/alice.

 

Who is ALICE®?

ALICE® stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. This term describes households who are above the federal poverty level, but who don’t make enough money for their basic needs. They are working and paying taxes, but not earning enough to be financially stable.

They are health care workers, office workers, retail staff, or the people who take care of our children and elderly. They live in every county, city, town, and borough in our region.
 

Working Hard and Struggling to Survive

The ALICE data project also provides data on how much it actually costs to live in each county, city and town in Pennsylvania. For example, a family of four with one preschooler and one infant living in Lehigh County requires a basic survival budget of $79,416. This budget is truly barebones - it doesn’t include any extra for emergencies or savings.

Supporting ALICE

All Pennsylvanians lean on ALICE for support on a daily basis. ALICE is the keystone of our communities - the child care workers, the customer service representatives, the infrastucture builders.
Now that we are aware of the struggles ALICE faces, we must come together to help ALICE take steps toward lasting financial stability.

United Ways across Pennsylvania are working to mobilize their communities to champion ALICE families through policy and programs. In the Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley is working with partners to support ALICE families by:

• providing information on resources via 211
• ensuring that people have access to nutritious food,
• helping seniors thrive in their homes
• and creating opportunities for children to be successful in school

For more information about ALICE, please contact Erin Connelly, Assistant Vice President, Impact.