Nearly Half a Million Miami-Dade County Households Financially Unstable
New ALICE report shows rise in families struggling to afford the basics
Miami-Dade County, FL— (July 17, 2023) The number of Miami-Dade County households unable to afford the basics has grown to nearly half a million – 488,180, according to a new report from United Way Miami and its research partner United For ALICE.
Families defined as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), earn above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what’s needed to survive in the modern economy. ALICE families have been overlooked and undercounted by traditional hardship measures and represent the nation’s childcare workers, home health aides and cashiers – those working low-wage jobs, with little or no savings who are one emergency away from poverty.
“For nearly 100 years, United Way Miami has stood on the front lines to tackle complex issues and provide vital programs and services to help ALICE families,” said United Way Miami President and CEO, Symeria Hudson. “While acknowledging the progress made, we recognize work still needs to be done. We are committed to implementing innovative programs and initiatives that will directly benefit our local residents.”
According to the report, the Household Survival Budget is $76,284, which reflects the estimated minimum cost for a family of four to live and work in our county. Currently, the median income for a household in Miami-Dade is far less at $59,044.
Almost 60 percent of adults were employed (either full-time or part-time) during 2021. However, 55 percent are paid by the hour; these workers are more likely to have fluctuations in income and less likely to receive benefits.
Miami-Dade County households experience a high level of financial hardship among all Florida counties, with total numbers of both ALICE households and households in poverty higher than the state averages.
ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hardship in Miami-Dade County shows that while the overall percentage of ALICE households and those in poverty has decreased slightly since 2018 (from 54 to 51 percent), this illustrates how, as Miami-Dade County’s population grows, so do the total number of ALICE households, as well as those below the poverty line.
Racial disparities continue to persist in the rates of financial hardship; 61 percent of Black and 52 percent of Hispanic households were below the ALICE Threshold in 2021, compared to 38 percent of White households.
United Way Miami is focused on initiatives that support the long-proven pillars of success: education, health and financial stability. Last year alone, United Way Miami provided training and placement services to more than 6,300 unemployed and under-employed individuals. Early Education programs trained close to 900 educators and served children throughout 120 high-quality programs, including more than 5,900 children. Through investment in a wide variety of Health programs in the community, 38,089 people were helped, with 22,500 people gaining access to care and screenings to improve their physical, mental and emotional needs. Financial Stability programs provided emergency shelter and food assistance to 63,000 individuals.
United Way Miami hopes to set ALICE families on an upward trajectory that will last for the generations that follow. To read the report and access data on financial hardship at the state, county and local level, visit unitedwaymiami.org/ALICE.
About United Way Miami
United Way Miami is a driving force in the community, successfully responding to emerging needs and transforming people’s lives. Since 1924, we have worked together with our network of donors, volunteers and partners, to generate and amplify resources and advocate for policies that improve the quality of life for all. We leverage our unique role as convener, strategic funder, service provider, awareness builder and influencer so that everyone in Miami-Dade has access to quality education and the opportunity to lead healthy and financially secure lives — the building blocks of a thriving community.
About United For ALICE
United For ALICE is a driver of innovation, research and action to improve life across the country for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and for all. Through the development of the ALICE measurements, a comprehensive, unbiased picture of financial hardship has emerged. Harnessing this data and research on the mismatch between low-paying jobs and the cost of survival, ALICE partners convene, advocate and collaborate on solutions that promote financial stability at local, state and national levels. This grassroots ALICE movement, led by United Way of Northern New Jersey, has spread to 27 states and includes United Ways, corporations, nonprofits and foundations in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin; we are United For ALICE. For more information, visit: UnitedForALICE.org.
