Legislative Breakfast: The Latest on ALICE in Kent County

ALICE lives in Kent County, and she’s struggling. Households who are Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed – working yet still failing to meet their basic needs – make up a large and growing percentage of our population. According to a newly updated report from the Michigan Association of United Ways, the number of ALICE households in Kent County actually increased 4% from 2010 to 2016. Together, ALICE households and those in poverty now make up 37% of our population.

At this Community Forum, Heart of West Michigan United Way will present the key findings from the latest ALICE report, including the ways that rising cost of living and stagnant wages have pushed some families who were previously self-sufficient below the ALICE threshold. The forum is also an opportunity for leaders from business, government, and nonprofit sectors to discuss solutions to the challenges facing ALICE families in our community.