A picture of working poverty in Greenwich

By Ken Borsuk November 21, 2016

The realities of living in Greenwich while struggling to stay above the poverty line were brought into stark focus on Monday morning at a special presentation by the Greenwich United Way. The meeting put the spotlight on people who are classified as asset limited, income constrained but employed, which is given the acronym ALICE. They have jobs but face major challenges paying for basic necessities like food, shelter, transportation and health care and are above eligibility guidelines for many state subsidies. “They are really struggling and making tough choices every day,” Greenwich United Way President and CEO David Rabin said. “And you might ask, well who is ALICE? Well ALICE are the folks you see every day. They’re our cashiers. They’re our bank tellers. They’re the people who are the backbone of our community really.” The income level for an ALICE family of four is $72,000 a year. Rabin said the number of people classified as ALICE is up to 15 percent of the town, equaling 3,368 residents, a rise from 12 percent in 2014. When added to the 5 percent in town living at the poverty level, that equals 20 percent of the town struggling to get by every month.

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