MEET ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed

ALICE represents those who are working but unable to afford the basic necessities of housing, food, child care, health care and transportation. ALICE is the manager at your supermarket, the salesperson at a department store, the child care worker, the delivery driver and the EMT providing you with life-saving assistance. ALICE is our neighbor. Households experiencing ALICE are forced to make tough choices, such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent, which have long-term consequences not only for those currently experiencing ALICE, but for all of us.

ALICE households:

• Span all races, ages, ethnicities, and abilities, though households of color are disproportionately ALICE
• Include workers whose wages cannot keep up with the rising cost of goods and services
• Often include those who are working two or more jobs and still cannot pay their bills
• Include family members who need care and assistance, which makes it harder for their caregivers to find adequate work
• Are forced to make impossible choices: pay the rent or buy food, receive medical care or pay for child care, pay utility bills or put gas in the car
• Are part of every community nationwide

In 2018, 52% of Bexar County’s 644,000 households are unable to make ends meet. While 17% of these households are living below the Federal Poverty Level ($26,500 for a family of four), another 35% – twice as many – are experiencing ALICE. These households earn above the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford basic household necessities. For a family of four (two adults, two children in child care), the ALICE survival budget requires an annual income of $72,912.