By Mary O’Leary December 13, 2016
Connecticut’s income inequality remained the second-worst in the country behind New York, “a gap adding to the housing-cost burden experienced by low- and moderate-income families: like other goods and services, those who can pay more drive up costs. The United Way of Connecticut found that almost half of all jobs in the state pay less than $20 an hour, while two-thirds of those low-wage positions pay between $10 and $15 an hour. This is a problem as the amount of hourly pay needed to meet the cost of a two-bedroom apartment in Connecticut went up to $24.72 an hour from $23.02 two years earlier. United Way put out a report this summer updating ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) that found housing “remains a primary barrier to family success.” Working individuals and families earning less than what the agency considers a “survival budget,” comprised 38 percent of all households, up from 35 percent in 2012. A survival budget is between $66,168 and $73,716 for two adults and two children, nearly triple the U.S. poverty rate in the U.S., according to ALICE. “Housing was the single highest monthly cost for individuals and second highest for families, trailing only child care,” the Partnership report found.
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