Approximately 136,500 households in the Greater Lehigh Valley, or 47%, are struggling to afford the barebones essentials.
All across our region, families are working hard, but still walking a financial tightrope.
ALICE® (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) 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.
All Pennsylvanians lean on ALICE for support on a daily basis. ALICE is the keystone of our communities – the childcare workers, the customer service representatives, the infrastructure builders, health care professionals, retail staff, or the people who take care of our 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
United Ways across Pennsylvania are working to mobilize their communities to champion ALICE families through policy and programs. In 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 PA 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.
The ALICE® data project was launched by 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 interactive map, the ALICE experience and more are available at www.uwp.org/alice.
Help end homelessness in the Lehigh Valley through a landlord engagement program to expand the available number of safe, affordable housing units.
Our public policy agenda reflects our work in education, healthy aging and community stability, including food, housing and mental health.
United Way supports PA 211, a free and confidential service that helps people find local resources they need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In the News
United Way Report Shows More Families Living Paycheck to Paycheck in the Greater Lehigh Valley
In Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, approximately 136,500 households cannot afford basic essentials according to new report.