UWAC News

Journal Gazette: Working poor 40% of county

Sep 16, 2016

SHERRY SLATER | The Journal Gazette

Two in 5 local households were barely scraping by in 2014, according to a new report released Thursday by United Way of Allen County.

Such families – often referred to as the working poor – are trapped in apartments because they don’t have enough money for a modest mortgage payment. They seek out supermarket sales because their food budget is only about $4 per person per day.

Instead, they were forced to choose between basic needs such as filling prescriptions, paying the electric bill, replacing broken eyeglasses and putting dinner on the table, officials said.

More families had to make those tough choices in 2014 than in 2012. The rate of struggling Allen County households increased to 39 percent from 35 percent. Statewide, 36 percent of households struggled to meet basic needs in 2014.