Report: A third of Sarasota-Manatee working families can't make ends meet

[Zorro]

Thousands of area households have fallen into economic hardship following the end of federal pandemic relief programs – largely due to soaring childcare and housing costs, a recent study found.

Among the hardest hit are families with young children, according to the updated ALICE Report released this week by United Way Suncoast and its research partner United For ALICE.

ALICE stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. In other words, working households that are above the federal poverty level but unable to make ends meet.

While researchers usually run the data every two years to gauge communities’ well-being, this time they waited only a year in order to track how families are faring since the expiration of child tax credits and other COVID-era relief.

“Sadly, it’s about as bad as we thought it was going to be,” said Doug Griesenauer, vice president of community impact for United Way Suncoast.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2024/06/15/number-of-sarasota-manatee-families-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-grows/74090447007/

For decades Florida had been considered a low-cost state, with workers willing to tolerate low wages -- it was called the "sunshine tax". It's not that way anymore, and workers shouldn't think the Republicans controlling state government are going to provide any relief.