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United Way Alice Report PDF

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A L I C E ® ASSET LIMITED, INCOME CONSTRAINED, EMPLOYED Fall 2016 STUDY OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP UnitedWayALICE.org/NewYork THE UNITED WAYS OF NEW YORK Allegany County United Way United Way of Northern New York Chenango United Way United Way of Northern Yates County Tioga United Way United Way of Ontario County Tri-County United Way United Way of Orleans County United Way for Cortland County United Way of Rockland County United Way of Broome County United Way of Rome & Western Oneida County United Way of Buffalo & Erie County United Way of Schuyler County United Way of Cattaraugus County United Way of Seneca County United Way of Cayuga County United Way of Sidney United Way of Central New York United Way of Southern Chautauqua County United Way of Columbia & Greene Counties United Way of Sullivan County United Way of Delaware & Otsego Counties United Way of the Adirondack Region United Way of Fulton County United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region United Way of Genesee County United Way of the Greater Capital Region United Way of Greater Niagara United Way of the Southern Tier United Way of Greater Oneida County United Way of the Tonawandas United Way of Greater Oswego County United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica Area United Way of Greater Rochester United Way of Tompkins County United Way of Livingston County United Way of Ulster County United Way of Long Island United Way of Wayne County United Way of Montgomery County United Way of Westchester & Putnam United Way of New York City United Way of Wyoming County United Way of Northern Chautauqua County ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS United Way ALICE Project New York State Coordinator Mary A. Shaheen United Way of New York State New York State Corporate Investor Special thanks to KeyBank for helping bring the message of ALICE to the State of New York. NATIONAL ALICE ADVISORY COUNCIL The following companies are major funders and supporters of the United Way ALICE Project. Aetna Foundation | AT&T | Atlantic Health System | Deloitte | Entergy | Johnson & Johnson KeyBank | Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | OneMain Financial Thrivent Financial Foundation | UPS | U.S. Venture Note: In addition to the corporate sponsorships, this Report was made possible by the United Ways noted above in bold. LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY Steering Committee John Bernardi Dear New Yorkers: United Way of the Adirondack Region Who is ALICE? You already know ALICE. We see ALICE every day – hard workers who keep New York’s economy running, but who aren’t always sure that they can put food on their tables. Bonnie DeVinney Each day ALICE stands at cash registers, fixes our cars, serves us in restaurants and retail United Way of stores, and cares for our children and our elderly. Greater Rochester ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. We have produced this report to give an identity and voice to the people who work hard, often at more than one job, yet still Reg Foster struggle to make ends meet, whose wages are not sufficient to sustain them and their families, United Way of and who are one small emergency away from a major financial crisis. New York State What this report shows us is startling – that 44 percent of all New Yorkers are ALICE or live below the Federal Poverty Level. This means they are not earning enough to “get by” based Nicole Gallant on a Household Survival Budget that uses conservative estimates of monthly expenses for United Way of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and taxes. New York City The report shows us that ALICE lives in every part of our state, from our biggest cities to our Brian Hassett most rural areas. The cost of living varies widely in New York, and the report tells us what a United Way survival budget is in every area of the state. It provides data at a county level to help us all of the Greater understand our local communities. The report also tells us whether ALICE is a young person Capital Region struggling in their first job, a family choosing between paying food or rent, or an elderly person on a fixed income. Tory Irgang We want to go deeper than counting the number of ALICE families and individuals. The report United Way helps us to understand ALICE, but it also points to how we can help. There is information on the of Southern types of jobs ALICE has. It shows the pain points in the budget, the places that are the biggest Chautauqua County challenge for ALICE, like rent or child care costs. Recent federal data indicates that, after a tough recession, things may finally be improving. Frank Lazarski Poverty levels are dropping and income is rising. Here in New York, we have seen steps to United Way of raise the minimum wage, provide family leave, and tackle poverty in a systemic way in some Central New York of our poorest communities. What is less clear is if these positive changes will simply move households above the Federal Poverty Level, but not above the ALICE survival threshold. Michael Weiner United Way of Buffalo By investing in ALICE, we are investing in ourselves. Stability in the lives of workers is positive & Erie County for the companies that employ them and the overall economy. ALICE is working hard, and we need to identify solutions that make it easier for ALICE to become more financially secure. United Ways across New York work year round to help people we call ALICE. Please join our efforts. Share information about ALICE, and please connect with your local United Way to learn how you can help create more opportunities for ALICE. Sincerely, Reg Foster Brian Hassett President & CEO, United Way President & CEO, United Way of the Greater Capital of New York State Region and Chair of the Membership Advisory Committee for United Way of New York State THE UNITED WAY ALICE PROJECT The United Way ALICE Project provides a framework, language, and tools to measure and understand the struggles of the growing number of households in our communities that do not earn enough to afford basic necessities, a population called ALICE. This research initiative partners with state United Way organizations, such as United Way of New York State, to deliver research-based reports that can stimulate meaningful discussion, attract new partners, and ultimately inform strategies that affect positive change. Based on the overwhelming success of this research in identifying and articulating the needs of this vulnerable population, the United Way ALICE Project has grown from a pilot in Morris County, New Jersey in 2009, to the entire state of New Jersey in 2012, and now to the national level with 15 states participating in the United Way ALICE Project. More than one-third of households in the United States either live in poverty or are ALICE. United Way of New York State is proud to join the some 450 United Ways from the participating states to better understand the struggles of ALICE. The result is that ALICE is rapidly becoming part of the common vernacular, appearing in grant applications, in the media, and in public forums discussing financial hardship in communities across the country. Together, United Ways, government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations have the opportunity to evaluate the current solutions and discover innovative approaches to give ALICE a voice, and to create changes that improve life for ALICE and the wider community. To access reports from all states, visit UnitedWayALICE.org States with United Way ALICE Reports North Dakota Washington Montana Minnesota New Hampshire Vermont Maine Wisconsin South Dakota Oregon Idaho Wyoming Michigan Massachusetts New York Iowa Nebraska Pennsylvania Rhode Island Illinois Indiana Ohio Connecticut Nevada Utah Colorado West New Jersey Kansas Missouri Virginia Delaware Kentucky Virginia Maryland California Oklahoma Arkansas Tennessee C Naroorltihn a DCioslturmicbt ioaf Arizona New Mexico Georgia Texas South Carolina Alabama Florida Louisiana Mississippi Alaska New Jersey (2012) First Cohort (2014) Hawaii Second Cohort (2015-16) iii Third Cohort (2016-17) THE ALICE RESEARCH TEAM The United Way ALICE Project provides high-quality, research-based analysis to foster a better understanding of who is struggling in our communities. To produce the United Way ALICE Report for New York, a team of researchers collaborated with a Research Advisory Committee, composed of 17 representatives from across the state, who advised and contributed to our United Way ALICE Report. This collaborative model, practiced in each state, ensures each United Way ALICE Report presents unbiased data that is replicable, easily updated on a regular basis, and sensitive to local context. Working closely with United Ways, the United Way ALICE Project seeks to equip communities with information to create innovative solutions. Lead Researcher Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D. is the lead researcher and director of the United Way ALICE Project. Dr. Hoopes’ work focuses on the political economy of the United States and specifically on the circumstances of low-income households. Her research has garnered both state and national media attention. She began the United Way ALICE Project as a pilot study of the low-income community in affluent Morris County, New Jersey in 2009, and has overseen its expansion into a broad-based initiative to more accurately measure financial hardship in states across the country. In 2015, Dr. Hoopes joined the staff at United Way of Northern New Jersey in order to grow this work in new and innovative ways as more and more states become involved. Dr. Hoopes was an assistant professor at the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA), Rutgers University-Newark, from 2011 to 2015, and director of Rutgers-Newark’s New Jersey DataBank, which makes data available to citizens and policymakers on current issues in 20 policy areas, from 2011 to 2012. SPAA continues to support the United Way ALICE Project with access to research resources. Dr. Hoopes has a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College. Research Support Team Andrew Abrahamson Helen McGinnis Dan Treglia, Ph.D. ALICE Research Advisory Committee for New York Sue Books, Ed.D. A. Brian Leander, Ph.D. Joshua Simons, M.P.A. State University of New York at Adelphi University State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz Mary McLean-Scanlon, M.A. Katharine H. Briar-Lawson, Ph.D. Finger Lakes Community College Joseph Stefko, Ph.D. University at Albany, State Center for Governmental Research University of New York Pascale Mevs, M.A. CenterState Corporation for Caroline Taggart, M.P.H. Lisa Caswell, L.C.S.W. Economic Opportunity Via Evaluation Day Care Council of New York Guillermo Montes, Ph.D. Kara Ulasewicz Travis, M.A. Joseph Czajka Children’s Institute Bassett Healthcare Network Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress James Parrott, Ph.D. David Voegele, M.S. Stephanie Gendell, Esq. Fiscal Policy Institute Early Care and Learning Council Citizens’ Committee for Children Debra Richardson Jeffrey Guillot, M.A. Cornell Cooperative Extension Millennial Strategies iv of Oneida County v TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1 INTRODUCTION ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7 K I� WHO IS STRUGGLING IN NEW YORK? ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12 R Measure 1 – The ALICE Threshold II� HOW COSTLY IS IT TO LIVE IN NEW YORK? �����������������������������������������������������������������������������39 O Measure 2 – The Household Budget: Survival vs. Stability Y III� WHERE DOES ALICE WORK? HOW MUCH DOES ALICE EARN AND SAVE? �������������������������������53 IV� HOW MUCH INCOME AND ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED TO REACH THE ALICE THRESHOLD? ��������68 W Measure 3 – The ALICE Income Assessment V� WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR ALICE HOUSEHOLDS IN NEW YORK? �����������������76 E Measure 4 – The Economic Viability Dashboard VI� THE CONSEQUENCES OF INSUFFICIENT HOUSEHOLD INCOME ����������������������������������������������86 N CONCLUSION ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������114 N APPENDIX A – INCOME INEQUALITY IN NEW YORK ������������������������������������������������������������������135 APPENDIX B – THE ALICE THRESHOLD: METHODOLOGY ����������������������������������������������������������136 I APPENDIX C – THE HOUSEHOLD SURVIVAL BUDGET: METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES ��������������139 E APPENDIX D – THE HOUSEHOLD STABILITY BUDGET: METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES ��������������142 C APPENDIX E – THE ALICE INCOME ASSESSMENT: METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES �������������������146 I APPENDIX F – THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY DASHBOARD: METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES ����������149 L APPENDIX G – HOUSING DATA BY COUNTY ������������������������������������������������������������������������������152 A APPENDIX H – KEY FACTS AND ALICE STATISTICS FOR NEW YORK MUNICIPALITIES �����������������154 APPENDIX I – HOUSEHOLDS BY INCOME ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������211 APPENDIX J – ALICE COUNTY PAGES ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������213 BIBLIOGRAPHY �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������278 vi INDEX OF FIGURES Figure 1� Household Income, New York, 2014 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14 Figure 2� Households by Income, New York, 2007 to 2014 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������15 Figure 3� Households by Income, New York Regions, 2014 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������16 Figure 4� Percent of Households below the ALICE Threshold by County, New York, 2014 ������������������������������17 Figure 5� Percent of Households below the ALICE Threshold by County Subdivision, New York, 2014 ����������18 Figure 6� Distribution of Households below the ALICE Threshold across County Subdivisions, New York, 2014 ���19 Figure 7� Households below the ALICE Threshold, Largest Cities and Towns in New York, 2014 ������������������20 Figure 8� Percent of Households below the ALICE Threshold by PUMA, NYC and Surrounding Counties, 2014 ���21 Figure 9� Households below the ALICE Threshold by Age, New York Regions, 2014 ��������������������������������������24 Figure 10� Households by Race/Ethnicity and Income, New York Regions, 2014 ������������������������������������������26 Figure 11� Hispanic, Black, and Asian Households by Income, New York Regions, 2014 �����������������������������27 Figure 12� Household Types by Income, New York, 2014 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������30 Figure 13� Families with Children by Income, New York Regions, 2014 �������������������������������������������������������31 Figure 14� Education Attainment and Median Annual Earnings, New York, 2014 ����������������������������������������34 Figure 15� Median Annual Earnings by Education and Gender, New York, 2014 ������������������������������������������35 Figure 16� Veterans by Age, New York, 2014 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������38 Figure 17� Household Survival Budget, New York Average, 2014 �����������������������������������������������������������������40 Figure 18� Household Survival Budget, New York Regions, 2014 �����������������������������������������������������������������45 Figure 19� Average Household Stability Budget vs� Household Survival Budget, New York, 2014 ����������������46 Figure 20� Household Budget Comparison, Family of Four, New York, 2014 �������������������������������������������������51 Figure 21� Employment and GDP by Industry, New York, 2014 ���������������������������������������������������������������������54 Figure 22� Number of Jobs by Hourly Wage, New York, 2014 ������������������������������������������������������������������������56 Figure 23� Number of Jobs by Hourly Wage, New York Metropolitan Areas, 2014������������������������������������������56 Figure 24� Number of Jobs by Hourly Wage, New York, 2007 to 2014 �����������������������������������������������������������57 vii Figure 25� Occupations by Employment and Wage, New York, 2014 ���������������������������������������������������������������������58 Figure 26� Full-Time and Part-Time Employment by Gender and Median Earnings, New York, 2014 ���������������������59 Figure 27� Earnings by Number of Households and Aggregate Total, New York, 2014 ������������������������������������������59 Figure 28� Sources of Income, by Number of Households, New York, 2007 to 2014 ����������������������������������������������60 Figure 29� Households by Wealth, New York, 2011 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������61 Figure 30� Household Assets, New York, 2014 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������64 Figure 31� Use of Alternative Financial Products by Banking Status, New York, 2011 ������������������������������������������66 Figure 32� Categories of Income and Assistance for Households below the ALICE Threshold, New York, 2014 �����70 Figure 33� Comparing Basic Need with Public and Nonprofit Spending by Category (Excluding Health Care and Miscellaneous Expenses), New York, 2014 �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������72 Figure 34� Total Public and Nonprofit Assistance per Household below the ALICE Threshold, New York, 2014 ������75 Figure 35� Economic Viability Dashboard, Number of “Good” Scores, New York, 2014 �����������������������������������������78 Figure 36� Economic Viability Dashboard, New York, 2014 �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������78 Figure 37� Economic Viability Dashboard, New York, 2007 to 2014 ����������������������������������������������������������������������84 Figure 38� Consequences of Households Living below the ALICE Threshold in New York ��������������������������������������86 Figure 39� NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index for New York Metro Areas, 2014 ������������������������������������88 Figure 40� Renters below the ALICE Threshold vs� Rental Stock, New York, 2014 �������������������������������������������������90 Figure 41� Percent of Workers Commuting Outside Home County, New York, 2014 ���������������������������������������������102 Figure 42� Population Growth, New York, 2000 to 2030 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������115 Figure 43� Population Inflows and Outflows, New York, 2014 �����������������������������������������������������������������������������120 Figure 44� Median Earnings and Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity, New York, 2014 �����������������������������������123 Figure 45� Projected Occupational Demand by Wage, Education, and Work Experience, New York, 2014 to 2024 ���127 Figure 46� Occupations by Number of Jobs and Technology, New York, 2014 ������������������������������������������������������130 Figure 47� New York Voters by Annual Income, 2014 Gubernatorial Election ������������������������������������������������������132 Figure 48� Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Strategies to Assist Families below the ALICE Threshold ��������������133 viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Across New York, 44 percent of households struggled to afford basic household necessities in 2014. WHO IS ALICE? With the cost of living higher than what most people earn, ALICE families – an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed – have income above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but not high enough to afford a basic household budget that includes housing, child care, food, transportation, and health care. ALICE households live in every county in New York – urban, suburban, and rural – and they include women and men, young and old, and all races and ethnicities. WHO IS STRUGGLING? While the Federal Poverty Level reports that 15 percent of New York households face financial hardship, an additional 29 percent (2.1 million households) qualify as ALICE. The picture changes by region: In New York City, 20 percent are in poverty and another 31 percent are ALICE; in the counties surrounding NYC, 8 percent are in poverty and another 28 percent are ALICE; and in in the Rest of State (everything north and west of NYC and its surrounding counties), 14 percent are in poverty and another 28 percent are ALICE. Bronx Dutchess Rockland All Remaining Counties Kings (Brooklyn) Nassau Suffolk New York (Manhattan) Orange Westchester Queens Putnam Richmond (Staten Island) WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ALICE HOUSEHOLDS IN NEW YORK? K Low wage jobs dominate the local economy: More than 55 percent of all jobs in New York pay less than $20 R O Y per hour, with more than half of those paying between $10 and $15 per hour ($15 per hour full time = $30,000 W E per year). The percent of jobs paying less than $20 per hour ranges greatly across the state, from 48 percent N – in the NYC metropolitan area to more than 65 percent in the metro areas of Elmira, Kingston, Glens Falls, T R Binghamton, and Utica-Rome. These jobs – especially service jobs that pay wages below $20 per hour and O EP require a high school education or less – will grow far faster than higher-wage jobs over the next decade. R E C LI The basic cost of living outpaces wages: The cost of basic household expenses in New York is more than A Y most of the state’s jobs can support. The average annual Household Survival Budget for a New York family of four A W D (two adults with one infant and one preschooler) is $62,472 – more than double the U.S. family poverty level of E T NI 1 U

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Dr. Hoopes' work focuses on the political economy of the United States and specifically on the circumstances of low-income demographics; of those, 15 percent are in poverty and. 51 percent are ALICE.” Figure 6 . Distribution of Households below the ALICE Threshold across County. Subdivisions
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