LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – The rising cost of living coupled with low wages has left millions of Michigan families struggling to get by.
A recent update on Financial Hardship in Michigan shows that 41% of Michigan households can not afford the basic cost of living in their county.
News 10 caught up with United Way of Central Michigan about living paycheck to paycheck.
The latest ALICE report represents working households that still struggle to make ends meet. According to the report, the growing number of Michigan households that are experiencing a financial hardship is based on three factors: costs, public assistance, and wages.
On Thursday, experts said a growing number of households that are still struggling do not qualify for public assistance.
“$600 a month just for two days of child care.”
Gavin Greenway takes care of his daughter full-time. He said childcare is one of his more costly bills. “Besides my mortgage, that would be the biggest bill I pay every month, without a doubt.”
The report states that out of four million households in Michigan, 1.6 Million struggled to afford the basics like housing, food, and child care.
United Way’s Director of Community Impacts, Michele Strasz said, that the data is collected in their bi-annual ALICE report.
“ALICE refers to asset limited, income-constrained, and employed.”
The report is an estimate of what it costs to live and work in Michigan and how many households cannot meet those costs. “And those are families that live above the poverty level but they do not have the economic means that they need to afford all of the things to be able to live in their community.”
By 2022, 33% of Michigan households with children were below the ALICE threshold. Struggling to put food on the table or clothes on your kid’s backs, is not a new concern for Michigan households but it is growing.
“38% of people in our Tri-County Area of Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton fall into that ALICE threshold.”
Growing, like the cost of child care the Greenway called his biggest expense. “Anyone short of making six figures, it’d just be their entire paycheck, pretty much.”
If you or someone you know ends up in financial hardship, call 211 to see what type of assistance you might qualify for.
Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather. Looking to hire people, or grow your business through advertising? Gray Digital Media is your one-stop marketing solution. Learn more.
Copyright 2024 WILX. All rights reserved.