The ALICE household survival budget represents the monthly cost of the essentials needed to live and work in the modern-day economy based on household type and location.
(The ALICE Report)
The ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) report was recently released to show the cost of living in Indiana counties after the pandemic hit, according to Indiana United Ways.
The report is based on census data and represents a snapshot in time. It compares the federal poverty level, the census income thresholds that vary by household size but not geography, to the ALICE household survival budget, which represents the monthly cost of the essentials needed to live and work in the modern-day economy based on household type and location.
Tonja Stokes, vice president of membership services at Indiana United Ways, said that the ALICE report numbers account for housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare and technology.
“For one adult, that person would need to bring in a bare minimum of $2,053 a month, or for a family of four, $4,869. Just to squeak by,” Stokes said. “About 12 percent of Indiana’s population is considered to be living at the federal poverty level, but 27 percent, is considered to be at the ALICE threshold.”
Stokes said the majority of households below the ALICE threshold are self-identified white households, coming in at 777,085. Blacks are the next most-affected group below the threshold at 140,256. Race and ethnicity overlap in this category.
“Single parent families were hit especially hard,” Stokes said. “Childcare, next to rent, is one of the highest expenses that families will be faced with.”
Stokes said less than a third of those that fall under the ALICE threshold cannot afford to retire. Sixty-six percent of those above the threshold have some funds to retire. Many under the threshold also do not make enough money to set funds aside or cover miscellaneous expenses because they do not have adequate insurance.
She also said those deemed essential care workers during the pandemic, such as waiters and cooks, did not get pay raises significant enough to keep up with inflation. Women, Blacks and those with a disability have been hit the hardest.
“Folks that are already disadvantaged socioeconomically or have been marginalized continue to feel greater impacts from the pandemic,” Stokes said.
Michael Budd, president and CEO of Indiana United Ways, said that even though the report tends to highlight those below the ALICE threshold, it is important to give everyone across the spectrum support.
“A flat tire to me is a trip to the store,” Budd said. “But a flat tire for many of these families may mean not getting to work, losing a job and a significant domino effect of challenges.”
Budd said the implications for the non-profit sector include increased dependency on charitable food provisions, emergency housing and eviction-related aid as well as a high potential for bankruptcy filing assistance. There would also be a greater demand for preventative care and mental health care services.
“Part of what makes this a great state or will make this a great state is how we take care of those that are struggling,” Budd said. “Are we taking time to think about what are their situations and putting laws and policies into place to help them to be successful and to move forward.”
To learn more about the ALICE report, visit www.iuw.org.
CORRECTION: Previous version attributed the report and the titles of the sources to Prosperity Indiana. The text was updated to the correct attribution, Indiana United Ways.
