At United Way of Erie County, we know poverty is only part of the story.

Across Erie and Huron Counties, many individuals and families are working every day, earning paychecks, and doing their best to stay afloat—yet they still struggle to make ends meet. These households are known as ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

ALICE households earn too much to qualify for many assistance programs, but not enough to consistently afford the basics—things like housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology.

These are not people on the sidelines. They are often the people who keep our communities running—child care workers, nursing aides, retail employees, hospitality workers, service workers, and many others.

In Erie County, approximately 1 in 3 households live below the ALICE Threshold. In Huron County, that number is more than 1 in 3 households. That means thousands of working families in our region are living one unexpected expense away from financial crisis.