ALICE Report - United Way of Central Maryland

ALICE® Report: A Study of
Financial Hardship in Maryland

FULL REPORT 2020 REPORT PDF

BENEFITS CLIFF STUDY

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United Way ALICE® Report

ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The earnings of Maryland ALICE individuals and families are not enough to support a “survival budget” that is far higher than the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)–in some cases, more than three times higher than the FPL.

The latest ALICE Report, released by United Ways throughout the state of Maryland, reveals that 39% of households can’t afford the state’s high cost of living and don’t earn enough to pay for basic necessities like housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and transportation. This percentage, based on 2018 data, is clearly higher in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating economic impact on our residents.

The Maryland ALICE Survival Budget that covers just the most basic necessities was $87,156 for a family of four and $33,636 for a single adult in 2018.

“Today, as we face record unemployment rates, we know the number of Maryland households that are struggling is more than has been accounted for in our report – which is based on data collected in 2018,” said Franklyn Baker, president and CEO, United Way of Central Maryland. “The pandemic has exposed exactly the issues of economic fragility that the ALICE Report reveals and for thousands that the impact of COVID-19 has suddenly thrust into the ALICE population. Of the tens of thousands of calls we have received to the 211 Maryland United Way Helpline for food, healthcare, housing assistance, and other resources, many are from those who have not had to deal with these challenges before As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on our economy, we will continue to provide what’s needed, where it’s needed for those in our region who are struggling to rebuild their lives.”

You can help those who are among the ALICE population with a donation today.

TELL US YOUR ALICE STORY

Do you identify as ALICE or have an ALICE story to share?

Are you a business or community leader helping ALICE?

We’re building a powerful network of those who are committed to helping people in our region who don’t earn enough to afford basic needs, and to highlight the barriers and challenges to financially stable lives so many hardworking people face.

SHARE YOUR STORY

WHO IS ALICE?

ALICE represents our hardworking neighbors in need. ALICE holds positions such as cashiers, administrative and nursing assistants, waiters/waitresses, laborers and security guards and jobs in the retail and food industries. Vital to our state’s future economic well-being, they face barriers beyond their control that limit their ability to become financially stable and self-sufficient.

“We make too much to get help, but not enough to survive.”

READ HEATHER'S STORY

What does it cost to afford the basics?

The ALICE Household Survival Budget accounts for the actual costs of basic necessities in Maryland. See a breakdown of what it costs to afford the basics in the report.

	ALICE Maryland Survival Budget	Federal Poverty Level
2 Adults, 2 Children	$87,156	$25,100
1 Individual	$33,636	$12,140

MOM STRUGGLES TO AFFORD THE BASICS FOR HER FAMILY

READ VICTORIA'S STORY

Watch the recordings from United Way’s Realities of Inequity: An impactful series that examines what’s preventing hardworking Maryland residents from getting ahead, and what United Way, our partners, and other local leaders are doing to help—and what you can do to break down barriers to inequity.

Why So Many Marylanders Can’t Make Ends Meet

The Need for Affordable, Accessible Childcare

The Housing Crisis in Our Region

The ALICE Report and Benefits Cliff Study are made possible by corporate sponsor, Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. Our belief that economic and environmental factors drive total health leads us to invest in approaches that have health, economic and social impacts and promote wellbeing for our members and communities, particularly those experiencing inequities and injustice. https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/

United For ALICE is a grassroots movement of nearly 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.

Resources and Media

Lawmakers Concerned About Families Teetering On The Edge Of ‘Benefits Cliff’, Maryland Matters

Meet ALICE: A more realistic picture of the working poor among us, Baltimore Sun

Pre-pandemic, nearly 40% of Maryland families struggled to afford basic needs, Baltimore Fishbowl

New report on challenges facing working Marylanders, Maryland Public Television

Study: 38 percent of working Marylanders and nearly half of Baltimoreans cannot afford basic household necessities, Baltimore Sun

Despite economic gains, number of Marylanders struggling continues to grow, Baltimore Business Journal

Report: More working Marylanders can’t afford household basics, Daily Record

In wealthy Howard, 25 percent of families struggle to make ends meet, survey finds, Howard County Times

Study: 38 percent of working Marylanders and nearly half of Baltimoreans cannot afford basic household necessities, Carroll County Times

Statewide, 38 percent of families struggle to afford basic necessities, report says, Baltimore Fishbowl

Increasing number of Frederick County residents struggle for basic needs, Frederick News-Post

United Way: 47 Percent Of Baltimore Families In ‘Survival Mode,’ Baltimore Patch

Statewide, 38 Percent of Families Struggle to Afford basic Necessities, Baltimore City Biz List

Study: About a third of households in Anne Arundel struggle to afford basic necessities, Capital Gazette

Study: More Than 1/3 of Md. Households Struggle to Meet ‘Survival Budgets,’ Maryland Matters

MORE MEDIA COVERAGE

ALICE Maryland Report in the News

Mark Long enters County Council race with a focus on housing, The Frederick News-Post

Report: more than a third of households in Maryland struggle to make ends meet, The Baltimore Sun

Commentary: Maryland’s ALICE Families and Education Policy, Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy

Employed and struggling in Md., Baltimore Sun Editorial

Working Hard to Make Ends Meet, WYPR 88.1 FM

The ReSET – Why ALICE is Everyone’s Problem, citybizlist

Report: more than a third of households in Maryland struggle to make ends meet, The Baltimore Sun

Commentary: Maryland’s ALICE Families and Education Policy, Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy

Employed and struggling in Md., Baltimore Sun

Study: One-quarter of Maryland families above federal poverty line, but can’t afford basic essentials, Baltimore Sun

United Way wants to focus on employed, but struggling individuals, Baltimore Business Journal

Report: One-third of Md. households live paycheck to paycheck, The Maryland Daily Record

United Way Report Finds More Than Third Of Maryland Households Unable To Afford Basic Needs, WBAL AM

In-Studio Segment about ALICE, WBFF -TV

ALICE report influenced how some legislators voted on the energy bill, Hagerstown Herald-Mail

Helping those struggling just to get by, Maryland Independent

Groundbreaking United Way Study Reveals that 35 Percent of Maryland Households Struggle to Afford Basics, The Dagger

Report: 42 percent of Washington Co. households struggle with basic living costs, The Herald Mail

Expert researchers, United Way weigh-in on the basic costs of living in Frederick County, Md., WHAG- TV

One-third of Maryland families are struggling to make ends meet, United Way report finds, WMAR-TV

Report shows quarter of Frederick County families earn below basic cost of living, Frederick News-Post

What’s it take to make a living in Carroll? Go ask ALICE, Carroll County Times

Editorial: ALICE data should be considered in long-term planning, Carroll County Times

ALICE report shows new data on Charles County working poor, Maryland Independent

United Way study suggest 35% of Marylanders struggle to afford the basics, Eye On Annapolis

For more than 90 years, United Way of Central Maryland has been improving lives in the communities it serves: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County, Maryland.

United Way of Central Maryland is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization! | Tax ID: 52-0591543

ALICE® Report: A Study ofFinancial Hardship in Maryland