New York State United Way ALICE Project: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
2023 ALICE NY Report is HERE!
COVID-19 and ALICE
The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is exposing critical shortcomings in our economy and in our systems of health care and education. No one is immune to its direct or indirect effects, but ALICE families are particularly vulnerable to hardship from both illness and economic disruption. Current economic measures do not capture the experience of this population. In this unprecedented time, it is imperative that we use the ALICE measures to fully understand the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. workers and their families.
The current crisis is demonstrating how exposed ALICE households — and therefore our communities and businesses — are to an emergency. Here are some of the intersecting ways ALICE workers, families, and seniors will be impacted by this crisis.
Click here for a statement on NYS COVID-19 and ALICE.
Click here to get involved with Local New York United Way efforts to help ALICE.
Updated ALICE Report Released April 26, 2023
Visit NY's page at www.UnitedWayALICE.org/newyork to review:
- Updated ALICE Report for New York
- ALICE Data for every county, town and village in New York State
- Household Survival Budgets and Household Stability Budgets for every county in NYS
The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Project was initiated by United Way of Northern New Jersey several years ago to bring focus to the families and individuals who work but whose salaries do not provide sufficient resources to meet basic needs.
The ALICE Project developed a methodology using publicly available census, employment, wage, cost of living and other data to help to understand the extent of ALICE in our communities, those who are above the federal poverty level, but below a sustainable wage.
The New York ALICE Report is a project of the United Way network in the state. Through the support of 34 local United Ways around the state, and with the generous sponsorship of KeyBank, NBT Bank and CSEA, Local 1000 the State United Way office has contracted with the national ALICE project to perform the research for New York.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hugh R. Parry; parryh@uwnys.org; 518-608-6456
The ALICE Report for New York State contains a wealth of information which is easily accessed and shared. The primary take aways of the report are:
3.4 million households in New York, 44% of all households, had income below that needed for financial survival.
From 2019 to 2021 the percentage of ALICE households in New York grew from 43% to 44%.
By ethnicity, households of color are disproportionately burdened - 60% of Hispanic and Black households are ALICE.
The highest rates of hardship are among single-parent families with children, and households headed by those under age twenty-five and over age sixty-five.
Since 2021 New Yorkers have experienced high levels of food insecurity, difficulty in bill payment and elevated feelings of anxiety and depression.
With a focus on the ALICE community the United Way system in New York demonstrates compassion and care for a cross section of our neighbors and friends who are trying to build productive, meaningful lives in the face of financial headwinds. In combination with our 211 information and referral system, United Ways can convene community resources and direct those seeking assistance to supportive services.
Good Things to Know
The ALICE population in New York State is defined as those who have income levels greater than the federal poverty definition ($26,000 for a family of four) and the household survival budget ($75,800 for a family of four).
There are variations in the percentage of households in New York who are ALICE. 54% in New York City, 32% in the counties surrounding NYC and 39% in the remainder of the state.
ALICE data is available in many subsets including data by county, legislative (federal and state) districts, household composition, ethnicity, gender, and age.
The ALICE Report for New York was sponsored in part by Key Bank; CSEA, AFSCME Local 1000, AFL-CIO; NBT Bank and 34 Local United Ways and is a project of United For ALICE, a grassroots movement of some 650 United Ways in 21 states, corporations and foundations, all using the same methodology to document financial need. ALICE Reports provide county-by-county and town-level data, and analysis of how many households are struggling, including the obstacles ALICE households face on the road to financial independence.
For more information or to find data about ALICE in local communities, visit www.UnitedForALICE.org/New-York
About United Way of New York State
United Way of New York State is a statewide membership organization, with a mission of strengthening the capacity of Local United Ways in New York State to be leaders in achieving results that improve the lives of all New Yorkers. Of 42 Local United Ways in New York, 36 of them are members of United Way of New York State. Our member United Ways raised $152.6 million dollars in 2018, to invest in community efforts. For more information visit uwnys.org.
211 New York is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Way of New York State. 211 is a free information and referral resource that links people in need of assistance with resources available in their local communities. In 2018, 2-1-1 received 1.74 million phone calls, 21.3 million web visits and 24,734 text-based contacts. 211 New York is experiencing 2.5X call volume in response to COVID-19. For more information, visit 211NYS.org.
About United For ALICE
United For ALICE is a driver of innovation, shining a light on the challenges ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households face and finding collaborative solutions. Through a standardized methodology that assesses the cost of living in every county, this project provides a comprehensive measure of financial hardship across the U.S. Equipped with this data, ALICE partners convene, advocate, and innovate in their local communities to highlight the issues faced by ALICE households and to generate solutions that promote financial stability. The grassroots movement represents United Ways, corporations, nonprofits and foundations in Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin; we are United For ALICE. For more information, visit: UnitedForALICE.org.