This ALICE simulation is a supplemental and separate tool from the ALICE Report and is produced and operated independently from the ALICE Report, which is produced by United For ALICE as part of the United Way of Northern New Jersey.

If you are looking for the ALICE Report for Greater Houston, please visit the following link.

Greater Houston ALICE Report

Making Tough Choices

You are about to put yourself in the shoes of a typical ALICE® family. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE families are those that have earnings above the Federal Poverty Level, but below a basic cost-of-living threshold. In other words, they are struggling to make ends meet. More than one in three Greater Houston families are ALICE; combined with those in poverty, more than half of Greater Houston households are experiencing financial hardship.

For the next few minutes, you’ll experience some of the tough choices that these families have to make every single day and how United Way is doing all that we can to help them along the way.

Complete this form to get started

Making Tough Choices

You and your partner have two small children — one infant and one preschooler. Your partner’s monthly earnings are $2000. After an unexpected layoff at your place of employment, you find yourself scrambling to find a new job. But there is some good news. You have three real job opportunities. The interviews went well, so you have good reason to be optimistic.

Choose your job

Office Clerk

$20.70/hour, Part-time, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
4 days a week

Personal Care Aid

$10.5/hour, Full-time evenings, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.,
5 days a week

Retail Salesperson

$14.50/hour, 2nd shift, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.,
5 days a week

More than 50% of jobs in Greater Houston pay less than $20 per hour, most paying $10 - $15 per hour.

Workers who hold second-shift jobs are often faced with difficulty finding child care and transportation.

Decide where you're going to live

Apartment Rental 1

2-bedroom unit in a large complex

Apartment Rental 2

2-bedroom unit in an old house

Single-Family Homeowner

Small house with 3 bedrooms

ALICE households are often forced to spend more than 35% of their income on rent/mortgage and utility costs. This requires them to make tough choices, often forgoing basic necessities such as healthy food and health care.

Choose your child care

Accredited Center-Based Child care

Your children are cared for in a high-quality center with social development and a structured early learning curriculum.

Family, Friends and Neighbors

Your children are watched in your home or theirs, requiring you to cover basic expenses.

Licensed Home-Based Child care

Your children are cared for by a licensed individual with other children.

Licensed child care centers are regulated to meet more detailed standards of quality care than home-based care, and they are significantly more expensive.

More than 65% of children under six years old live in families where all available caregivers are working, making access to quality, affordable child care essential.

Child care accounts for nearly 23% of the Household Survival Budget and is often the second most expensive item in the ALICE family budget, after the cost of housing. While there are subsidies for working families, some ALICE households exceed the eligibility threshold.

Choose your transportation

Bus

You and your partner each have a monthly bus pass.

Car

You and your partner have one car that is paid for. You have to pay for insurance and gas every month.

There is limited public transportation in Greater Houston making it essential for most households to have a car. With reliable transportation, ALICE households have improved access to better job opportunities, quality child care, and health care.

Drivers in Houston pay 18.5% more than the average annual cost of car insurance in Texas and 9.5% more than the national average.

Choose your household food

Fresh

All of the freshest and healthiest options available to you including name brands

Low Cost

Limited amounts of healthy options with lots of frozen and processed foods and bargain brands

Mix

A combination of fresh and frozen options with a mix of name brands and bargain brands

In some areas of Greater Houston, over 50% of the residents report travelling over 6 miles to reach the nearest grocery store.

ALICE households often lack access to healthy and affordable food as well as the time to prepare it. Over 500,000 Houston residents live in USDA-designated food desert areas.

0

Payday$

Greater Houston ALICE Report

Making Tough Choices

Making Tough Choices

Choose your job

Office Clerk

Personal Care Aid

Retail Salesperson

More than 50% of jobs in Greater Houston pay less than $20 per hour, most paying $10 - $15 per hour.

More than 50% of jobs in Greater Houston pay less than $20 per hour, most paying $10 - $15 per hour.

Workers who hold second-shift jobs are often faced with difficulty finding child care and transportation.

Decide where you're going to live

Apartment Rental 1

Apartment Rental 2

Single-Family Homeowner

ALICE households are often forced to spend more than 35% of their income on rent/mortgage and utility costs. This requires them to make tough choices, often forgoing basic necessities such as healthy food and health care.

ALICE households are often forced to spend more than 35% of their income on rent/mortgage and utility costs. This requires them to make tough choices, often forgoing basic necessities such as healthy food and health care.

ALICE households are often forced to spend more than 35% of their income on rent/mortgage and utility costs. This requires them to make tough choices, often forgoing basic necessities such as healthy food and health care.

Choose your child care

Accredited Center-Based Child care

Family, Friends and Neighbors

Licensed Home-Based Child care

Licensed child care centers are regulated to meet more detailed standards of quality care than home-based care, and they are significantly more expensive.

More than 65% of children under six years old live in families where all available caregivers are working, making access to quality, affordable child care essential.

Child care accounts for nearly 23% of the Household Survival Budget and is often the second most expensive item in the ALICE family budget, after the cost of housing. While there are subsidies for working families, some ALICE households exceed the eligibility threshold.

Choose your transportation

Bus

Car

There is limited public transportation in Greater Houston making it essential for most households to have a car. With reliable transportation, ALICE households have improved access to better job opportunities, quality child care, and health care.

Drivers in Houston pay 18.5% more than the average annual cost of car insurance in Texas and 9.5% more than the national average.

Choose your household food

Fresh

Low Cost

Mix

In some areas of Greater Houston, over 50% of the residents report travelling over 6 miles to reach the nearest grocery store.

ALICE households often lack access to healthy and affordable food as well as the time to prepare it. Over 500,000 Houston residents live in USDA-designated food desert areas.

ALICE households often lack access to healthy and affordable food as well as the time to prepare it. Over 500,000 Houston residents live in USDA-designated food desert areas.

Challenge over...

You just ran out of money for the month.

You made it!

You made it through the month, though you probably faced some tough choices along the way.

Payday
$