Dallas

Nearly Half of Texas Families Struggle to Afford Basic Needs: United Way

More than four million Texas households cannot afford basic needs like clothing, child care, food or transportation, according to a new report released by the United Ways of Texas.

The group hopes the report will draw attention to the struggles of 42 percent of Texas families they refer to as "Alice" households. Alice is a United Way acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed -- meaning they earn more than the federal poverty level but less than the basic cost of living in Texas.

These Alice households may not qualify for government assistance.

Many Texans work several jobs, but still struggle to make ends meet. Officials refert to this as a gap that often leaves them one illness or car repair away from a financial crisis.

"This is about people working hard, contributing to our economy and still struggling," said Adrianna Cuellar Rojas, United Ways of Texas. "Workforce employers can focus on strategies that have to do with allowing their employees flexibility to take care of their parents or their kids when they're sick."

In North Texas, with the most recent data available coming from 2016, Alice households break down as follows:

  • Dallas County, nearly 1 million households, or 43 percent, live in poverty or the Alice range.
  • Tarrant County, nearly 700,000 households, or 37 percent, live in the poverty or Alice range.
  • Denton and Collin counties are both in the 20 percent range.

In 2016, according to data published by the United Way and obtained from various federal agencies, the cost of basic household needs for a family of four was nearly $53,000 compared to just $19,000 for single adults. Those number vary by county, however. For instance, in Tarrant the cost for a family of four was $64,464 compared to $21,720 for a single adult. In Dallas a family of four needed $62,820 compared to $22,452 for a single adult.

Explore the United Way's county-level and ZIP code level data here.

While the report doesn't name any specific actionable steps a person can take to close the gap, it advocates that the state and local communities an come together to find solutions.

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