Can you put yourself in ALICE’s shoes? Take the ALICE simulator below and find out if you could make it through each month!

 

ALICE Simulator

ALICE

 

ALICE, an acronym which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, is a way of defining our families, neighbors, and colleagues (men and women) who work hard, earn above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford a basic household budget.

 

ALICE educates our children, keeps us healthy, and makes our quality of life possible. But these low-wage jobs, often in the service sector, do not pay enough for ALICE to live on. These families are forced to make tough choices, such as deciding between quality childcare or paying the rent, which have long-term consequences for ALICE and our communities. The future success of our communities is directly tied to the financial stability of ALICE households.

 

 

What is the United Way ALICE Initiative?

The United Way ALICE Initiative is a collaborative research effort identifying and communicating the needs of the voiceless part of our communities; allowing for local change-makers to understand, measure, and advance change to improve the lives of ALICE households, ultimately strengthening our communities.

 

 

ALICE & Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, United Ways have developed a statewide ALICE report with community stakeholders. The full report and FDL County Snapshot are available below.

 

2023 ALICE National Report

2023 ALICE FDL County Snapshot

 

 

ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard

The ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard reveals the economic and community conditions of people who are struggling financially — those below the ALICE Threshold. This includes people in households with income below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and those who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), with income above the FPL but below the cost of basics. This dashboard was created to enable community planners, housing experts, policymakers, nonprofits, and business leaders to map key ALICE variables, compare geographies, and take action to promote financial stability at state and local levels. It includes interactive maps that show at state and local levels whether the conditions of key ALICE variables strengthen or weaken opportunities for ALICE to reach stability. Key statistics for Wisconsin can be found below. Check it out the full dashboard here.