PBS39 News Reports
ALICE
Clip: Season 2019 | 6m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
A new report shows more and more people are living paycheck to paycheck.
ALICE: A new report in conjunction with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley shows more and more people are living paycheck to paycheck. Clearly one third of families in the Lehigh Valley struggle to afford the barebones essentials. They're either below the poverty line or ALICE -- asset-limited, income-constrained and employed. For them, financial stability and savings are out of reach. ST
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PBS39 News Reports
ALICE
Clip: Season 2019 | 6m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
ALICE: A new report in conjunction with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley shows more and more people are living paycheck to paycheck. Clearly one third of families in the Lehigh Valley struggle to afford the barebones essentials. They're either below the poverty line or ALICE -- asset-limited, income-constrained and employed. For them, financial stability and savings are out of reach. ST
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>>> AND ANDREA MITCHELL HAS A LONG WEEK AHEAD OF HER.
BUT, A JOB LIKE THIS MAKES TIME FOR FUN.
THAT IS IN THE RED HOODIE.
SHE IS A PRESCHOOL TEACHER AT THIRD STREET ALLIANCE IN EASTON MAKING 13 BUCKS AN HOUR.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT HER AND HER TWO KIDS.
SHE IS WORKING AT A LOCAL SUPERMARKET, TOO.
>> I WORK AT THE DELI DEPARTMENT AND I MOONLIGHT IN THE MEAT DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT TO NEED HOURS ALSO.
>> THAT JOB PAYS $11 AN HOUR.
SHE SAYS SHE IS WORKING 70 TO 80HOURS EVERY WEEK AND IT IS STILL A STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
>> I STILL LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK BECAUSE FOOD HAS TO BE PURCHASED.
KIDS HAVE TO EAT, LIGHTS HAVE TO BE ON, YOU HAVE TO HAVE HEAT.
>> A NEW REPORT FROM THE UNITED WAY OF PENNSYLVANIA CLAIMS ONE IN THREE LEHIGH VALLEY FAMILIES ARE LIVING LIKE THIS.
THE ACRONYM CONNECTED TO THESE PEOPLE IS ALICE.
IT STANDS FOR ASSET LIMITED INCOME CONSTRAINT EMPLOYED.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT DESCRIBES PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING, PAYING TAXES AND ARE ABOVE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, BUT STILL ARE NOT MAKING ENOUGH TO AFFORD BASIC NEEDS.
>> THESE PEOPLE CAN OFTEN WORK 2 TO 3 JOBS AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS TWEEN DO I PAY THIS ELECTRIC BILL, OR DO I PAY FOR GROCERIES THIS WEEK.
OFTEN ONE UNEXPECTED EXPENSE CAN LEAD TO A FINANCIAL CATASTROPHE.
>> THE REPORT BREAKS DOWN DATA FROM 2017 AND CALCULATE HOW MUCH OF THE POPULATION QUALIFIES AS ALICE.
IN NORTH HAMPTON COUNTY, THAT IS 30%.
IN LEHIGH, 25.
AND CARBON, 32.
>> IT SHEDS LIGHT ON WHAT IT COSTS TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN OUR REGION.
ULTIMATELY WHAT IT IS MEANT TO DO IS START A DIALOGUE.
>> THIRD STREET ALLIANCE ISN'T JUST A PLACE WHERE SHE WORKS, SHE USED TO WORK AT THE SHELTER HERE WHEN HER FAMILY COULDN'T AFFORD A PLACE TO STAY.
>> YOU HEAR STORIES EVERY DAY ABOUT PEOPLE, BUT THIS BROUGHT IT HOME.
IT IS SCARY.
>> SHE AND HER KIDS RETURNED TO EASTON AFTER A SHORT TIME IN GEORGIA.
SHE HAD NO JOB AND SHE COULDN'T AFFORD TO MOVE BACK INTO HER OLD PLACE.
>> I LEFT HERE IN JULY, I SPOKE TO HIM IN OCTOBER.
THE RENT HAD GONE, HE IS GETTING 1200 FOR THE SAME APARTMENT THAT I WAS PAYING 715 FOUR.
>> SHE IS NOW PAYING 850 FOR A TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENT, THAT DOESN'T LEAVE ANYTHING FROM CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR.
>> BILL GETS STUFF FOR OTHERS.
THEY KNOW MOMMY IS HERE AND MOMMY LOVES YOU.
SOMETIMES THAT HAS TO BE ENOUGH.
>> THE DATA FROM THE ALICE REPORT CAME UP WITH WHAT IS CALLED A HOUSEHOLD SURVIVAL BUDGET.
THE BARE MINIMUM, A HOUSEHOLD NEED TO LIVE AND WORK.
LOOKING AT NORTH HAMPTON COUNTY, A FAMILY OF FOUR WHICH INCLUDES AN INFANT AND A PRESCHOOLER WOULD NEED MORE THAN $67,000 A YEAR.
>> THAT IS NOT COUNTING ANY KIND OF SAVINGS.
THAT IS NOT HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE, THAT IS NOT GOING OUT TO EAT, THAT IS NOT EVEN PAYING FOR A PHONE THAT IS A BASIC BARE-BONES BUDGET.
>> THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR NORTHAMPTON COUNTY FAMILIES IS $66,000, WHICH IS LESS THAN THE HOUSEHOLD SURVIVAL BUDGET.
DIGGING DEEPER, THE REPORT FINDS MORE THAN HALF OF RESIDENTS IN THE CITIES OF BETHLEHEM AND EASTON ARE EITHER ALICE OR BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL.
>> THE NEED HAS BEEN EVIDENT FOR A LONG TIME, THIS DATA PUTS HARDER NUMBERS AMONG WITHOUT ME.
>> ADDRESSING THAT NEED MEANS LOOKING AT WAYS THE COMMITTEE CAN HELP.
AT THIRD STREET ALLIANCE, THAT MEANS GIVING PEOPLE LIKE ANDREA A TEMPORARY PLACE TO STAY.
>> I AM NOT ASHAMED.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT THIRD STREET ALLIANCE EXISTS.
IF IT DIDN'T EXIST, WHERE WOULD I HAVE BEEN?
>> HOME IS LIKE A SANCTUARY.
IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN BEING SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE IN ANY WAY.
>> THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS A 90 DAY PROGRAM FOR THOSE WHO NEED HOUSING, GIVING PEOPLE SPACE AND TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS NEXT.
>> WE WANT YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN IN SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHEN YOU ARE HERE LIVING IN THE SHELTER, YOUR JOB IS TO BE LOOKING FOR HOUSING.
>> NEXT MONTH, A GROUP OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL LAUNCH A NEW HOUSING PROGRAM, AIMED AT PREVENTING AND DIVERTING PEOPLE WHO ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, BY HELPING THEM WITH CASE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
>> IF WE CAN PREVENT THEM FROM BECOMING HOMELESS, WE CAN STOP THAT PIPELINE, OR GREATLY DIMINISHED THAT PIPELINE.
THAT IS OUR GOAL.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ABSOLUTELY IN NEED, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE MORNING.
>> ADDRESSING HOUSING IS ONE THING, ADDRESSING WAGES IS ANOTHER.
>> CHILDCARE SALARIES ARE A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE INDUSTRY, IT IS ENDEMIC TO THE INDUSTRY.
>> A RAISE WOULD BE FANTASTIC, IF I WAS MAKING MORE MONEY, I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO BOTH, OR WHAT I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO AS MUCH ON THE PART-TIME JOB IF THE FULL-TIME JOB COVERED MORE OF MY EXPENSES.
>> THIRD STREET ALLIANCE HAS ADDED WEIGHT INCREASES IN ITS STRATEGIC PLAN TO HELP MOVE TOWARDS A LIVABLE WAGE.
>> OUR PLAN IS BY 2022, WE ARE STARTING PEOPLE AT $15 AN HOUR.
IT DOESN'T COMPETE WITH AMAZON RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT IS THE CHILDCARE INDUSTRY, IT IS THE NOTORIOUSLY UNDERPAID INDUSTRY.
>> THE UNITED WAY IS FOCUSING ON FOUR AREAS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HIS HOUSEHOLD.
>> ONE IS CHILDCARE, SO MAKING SURE FAMILIES CAN ACCESS AFFORDABLE, HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE.
ALSO LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION, SO HOW PEOPLE CAN GET TO AND FROM WORK.
ALSO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SO HOW CAN PEOPLE GET MORE JOB SKILLS IN ORDER TO GET A BETTER PAYING JOB.
THEN, WE ALSO PROVIDE RESOURCES VIA AT 211, SO FAMILIES CAN CALL AND GET CONNECTED TO HELP.
>> SOMETIMES, PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO SAY ANYTHING.
THEY DON'T WANT TO LET YOU KNOW.
IF YOU DON'T TELL ANYONE, THEY CAN'T HELP YOU.
I AM BLESSED THAT I SAID SOMETHING TO SOMEONE AND MORE THAN ONE PERSON CAME TO MY AID.
>> IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ALICE NUMBERS WHERE YOU LIVE, WE WILL PUT A LINK TO THE REPORT WITH THE STORY ON OUR WEBSITE, TRYING TO.
FOR PBS TO DENY NEWS TONIGHT, I AM STEPHEN.
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