Even before COVID-19, 38% of Connecticut households struggled to make ends meet

By Erica Moser September 06. 2020

In 2018, 38% of households in Connecticut and 33% in New London County didn’t earn enough to afford basic necessities, according to the newly released 2020 ALICE Report — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — from Connecticut United Ways.

The report also noted that 13% of Connecticut residents are on the cusp of being ALICE, meaning that an emergency or disaster “could destabilize a large number of households.”

The report “really kind of drives home just how vulnerable this population is, and now you couple it with (COVID-19)? With this pandemic? That is really going to rock our foundation in New London County,” commented Dina Sears-Graves, vice president of community impact for United Way of Southeastern Connecticut.

The report that will be released in 2022, using 2020 data, will show the impact of COVID-19.

United Way of Connecticut releases the report every two years to highlight the people who are above the federal poverty level — $12,140 for a single adult and $25,100 for a family of four — and therefore don’t qualify for some assistance programs but still struggle to make ends meet.

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