Health and Human Service Needs June 2018

Livingston County Human Services Collaborative Body
Health and Human Service Needs – Financial Stability June 2018

The Need for a Solid Community “Safety Net” in Livingston County.

• 9,263 Children under 18 in single parent households (2011-2015 average).
• $31.34 Hourly “living wage” required for a family with two pre-school children.
• 62% Michigan jobs that pay less than $20 per hour.
• 14,580 “Food Insecure” individuals (lacking enough nutritious food for a healthy life – 2016).
• 4,496 Students (K-12) eligible for free/reduced school lunches (2016-2017).
• 2,019 2-1-1 calls/web searches (2017)
• 10,940 Individuals living below Federal Poverty Level (2016 Census est.).
• 14,134 Medicaid-eligible individuals (2018)

Meet ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed).

ALICE represents the hard-working individuals who go to work every day, but struggle to afford the
high cost of living in Livingston County. According to the 2015 update of a report by Rutgers
University and commissioned by United Way organizations in Michigan, 21% or 14,931 local
families are working in high growth areas such as healthcare, personal services, childcare, etc., but
earning below the level needed to be financially stable in Livingston County, called the “ALICE
Threshold”, which is $62,688 for a family with two young children.
The ALICE Report gives us a picture of our post-recession environment; highlights some of the
challenges associated with the high costs of housing, transportation, and childcare; and provides a
much more accurate measure of financial hardship in this changed economy. View the entire report
here.