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ALICE SIMULATION

Walk with an ALICE family

ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) represents hardworking members of the community who are employed, yet can’t keep up with the rising cost of living.

ALICE SIMULATION

Walk with an ALICE family

ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) represents hardworking members of the community who are employed, yet can’t keep up with the rising cost of living.

What would you do?

Paying rent or childcare? Car repair or doctor’s visit? Groceries or prescription medications?

Step into the shoes of struggling, hardworking ALICE families in our community and experience their everyday reality. You’ll be forced to make impossible choices, like deciding between paying rent or buying food. Our simulation will help you feel the frustration and sense of being trapped that so many families experience when the unexpected happens.

488,180

of Miami-Dade households are either in or one emergency away from falling into poverty

34% or 327,444 households qualify as ALICE with an additional 17% or 160,736 households below the Federal Poverty Line (FPL).

$59,044

Median income for a household in Miami-Dade

An amount far less than the $76,284 Household Survival Budget, which reflects the estimated minimum cost for a family of four to live and work in Miami-Dade.

Understanding ALICE Metrics

Living Just Above the Federal Poverty Level
A household of four in Miami-Dade earning an annual income of $26,500 qualifies as poverty according to the U.S. Government.

Barely Meeting the Household Survival Budget
This is the bare minimum to cover basic necessities, with nothing left over for savings or emergencies. In Miami-Dade, it’s estimated to be $76,284 a year.

Spending Every Dollar of Every Paycheck to Cover Basic Necessities
Making just enough to cover housing, food, transportation, childcare, healthcare and transportation—nothing else.

Read More

// Make the Tough Choices

Select a member of the ALICE community

Kayla and her family

Kayla has two children, ages 5 and 10, and dreams of one day seeing them graduate from college – an experience she did not have. She works in a retail store, and her husband is employed as a maintenance engineer for a small, privately-owned property management company.

Manuel and his family

Manuel lives with his wife and two school-age children. Manuel works as a groundskeeper at a Miami Beach hotel. After a few years in the U.S., his wife was able to realize her dream of owning a small business selling baked goods.

Laura and her family

Laura lives with her husband raising their two daughters, ages 4 and 9. Laura works as a server at a hotel bar in Miami Beach and her husband drives a school bus for a private school. In order to make ends meet, her husband decided to take on making after-hours and weekend deliveries for Amazon.

Eric and his family

Eric lives with his partner and two school-age children. Eric works as a mechanic at a car dealership in Carol City. His partner owns a small neighborhood travel agency.

You must select a 'Persona' to start the Simulation

To learn more, visit:

unitedwaymiami.org/ALICE

Sources:

  • United Way Miami Community Impact Highlights Report of 2021-2022
  • 2023 ALICE Report, ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hardship