ALL ABOUT ALICE IN 2024

United For ALICE’s new 2024 report reveals that the challenges facing ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families have not gone away. All around the Suncoast, we continue to have households living paycheck to paycheck and standing one unexpected expense away from dire circumstances. The new report allows us to delve deeper into the data and continue to amplify awareness of these vital families. During our Centennial Celebration, we want to unite the community behind a collective effort. That’s what we’ve done at United Way Suncoast since 1924 and that’s what we do today. Visit http://www.unitedforalice.org/florida to learn more about the report. Sign up for an ALICE presentation to the right, and check out our new additions to this page.

WE TALK ALICE

Would you like someone from United Way Suncoast to give an ALICE presentation to your organization?

NEW TO THE ALICE PAGE

Check Out The New Elements We Added To The Page

ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard

Created by United For ALICE, the new ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard reveals the impact of economic and community conditions on people living in households below the ALICE Threshold. These households are either in poverty or are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) — earning above the poverty level but less than the cost of basics. With more than 30 new ALICE variables on work, housing, and community supports, this Dashboard provides a way to explore needs and pair them with promising practices — empowering us to develop targeted solutions for households in hardship.

Community Conditions Tracker

This interactive map that allows users to examine the conditions in specific zip codes including:

Percentage of households living below the ALICE threshold
Avg. Rent Cost
Median Household Income
Avg. Household Income

Barely Getting By

Some 2.7 million households led by working Floridians above the poverty level are struggling to pay for housing, food, insurance and other necessities. To read the article, click here.

FREEDOM TO RISE PODCAST

The new 2024 ALICE Report illuminates the plight of families living paycheck to paycheck, and highlights the fact that the household survival budget for a family of four in Pinellas County now ranks as the highest in the state.

On this episode of the Freedom To Rise podcast, we delve into the results of the new ALICE report and explore how we’re weaving together our education and financial stability efforts to create greater economic mobility for families across the region with Community Impact vice presidents Nicole Brown and Doug Griesenauer.

Barely Getting By

Some 2.7 million households led by working Floridians above the poverty level are struggling to pay for housing, food, insurance and other necessities. To read the article, click here.

FREEDOM TO RISE PODCAST

United Way Suncoast’s ALICE Data Walk Blog

Learn more about why United Way Suncoast believes it’s important to continue raising awareness about the challenges facing ALICE families.

In the Media

Report: A Third of Sarasota-Manatee working families can’t make ends meet – Herald-Tribune

Pinellas County Families with young children need to earn nearly $100,000 to afford basic expenses – WUSF NPR

United for ALICE – iHeart Podcast

Florida’s complicated cost of living explained in four charts – Tampa Bay Times

Child Poverty is on the rise in the US. Here is what that looks like in Tampa Bay. – Tampa Bay Times

At DeSoto County resource center, residents can count on more than food – Herald-Tribune

Many Floridians struggle to pay for necessities, especially as pandemic relief ends, experts say – wusf Public Media

People in Bradenton living paycheck to paycheck and at risk of homelessness is up 16% – Bradenton Herald

United Way Suncoast offers support for struggling families – 10 Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay’s cost of living crisis grows more severe – Tampa Bay Business Journal

More Florida and Tampa Bay families are living paycheck to paycheck – wusf Public Media

Tampa Bay families must make at least $88K a year to live comfortably: report – News Channel 8

A rising number of working Florida families are unable to afford basic necessities – wusf Public Media

Almost half of households in Sarasota-Manatee region live paycheck-to-paycheck – Herald-Tribune

More Tampa Bay families are living on the brink of poverty – Tampa Bay Times

We Are ALICE: A Community Crisis Forum

46% of all homes in our 5-county footprint are ALICE or under the federal poverty line.

Who is ALICE?

Florida: 8.8 million households
(21.2 million people),
13% earned below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
33% were ALICE, in households that earned above the FPL but not enough to afford the basics in the communities where they live
Together, 46% of households in Florida were below the ALICE Threshold (poverty + ALICE divided by total households)

Who is ALICE?

Florida: 8.8 million households
(21.2 million people),
13% earned below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
33% were ALICE, in households that earned above the FPL but not enough to afford the basics in the communities where they live
Together, 46% of households in Florida were below the ALICE Threshold (poverty + ALICE divided by total households)

ALICE in the workplace

Within the top 20 occupations in the state, an estimated one-third of all employees are below the ALICE threshold (995,283).
Of the top 20 occupations in Florida, 70% of them pay less than $20/hour;

ALICE in the workplace

Within the top 20 occupations in the state, an estimated one-third of all employees are below the ALICE threshold (995,283). Of the top 20 occupations in Florida, 70% of them pay less than $20/hour;

What We Do To Help ALICE Families

UWS Investment Partnership Results

Workforce Development Programs – almost every measure is at or above the yearly goal in the 3^rd quarter
Supporting community partners to increase job attainment and income through:
- +1,400 people placed in jobs or given a promotion/raise – nearly double the goal
- +500 people in progress earning certificates or higher education degrees
- Assisted almost 4,000 people in applying for benefits applications to provide additional support to themselves and their families
- +500 middle school students exposed to post-secondary education or career options that align with their interests

UWS Community Collaborations

New summer youth workforce program in partnership with Career Source
Increase in Resource Center partner collaboration through topic-focused workgroups
Building on a successful winter holiday meal distribution event, our team expanded this partnership to include an Easter meal distribution
Connection of Preserve Vision with our Quality Childcare Initiative sites, which led to 86 children being vision screened and 14 referred to receive glasses
Convening food providers with summer educational programming to ensure students have nutritious food available during the summer
Connecting early learning centers to paid trainings through the Early Learning Coalitions
Creation of interactive learning trails at four parks in Pinellas County
Increasing literacy through arts by collaborating with the Van Wezel Summer Resident Program to support over 150 children

Give Today!

The 2023 ALICE Report revealed that a family of four with an infant and a preschooler needs $88,000 to live comfortably. Don’t let the word “comfortably” deceive you. Comfortably means being able to go to the doctor without feeling anxious about the cost. Comfortably means being able to contribute towards your retirement and buy groceries. It’s not luxury, it’s stability. At United Way Suncoast we partner with families and work together to help them reach that stability, but we can’t do it alone. Give today and help United Way Suncoast create a community that will give every family the freedom to rise.