In Licking County, 41% of residents are financially struggling at or below the ALICE threshold. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and the term describes individuals and households who often earn above the federal poverty level but less than what’s needed to survive in the current economy.
This number includes households living below the Federal poverty level as well households that are above it but can’t meet the cost of living.
20,326 households have fallen into that bracket as of 2023. This means at least one out of every two homes with multiple families were fighting to make ends meet—every single day.
In Ohio, 39% of households were at or below the ALICE threshold.
In some Licking County communities, the percentage of people living at or below the ALICE threshold is higher: 52% of City of Newark residents, 51% of Mary Ann Township residents, 45% of Washington Township residents and 45% of Newton Township residents meet ALICE metrics.
This data was shared during a follow up to a screening of “Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness.” The United Way hosted this conversation with community leaders in housing access, food insecurity, childcare and healthcare at the DoubleTree Hotel in Newark on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Read more: Licking County residents to continue homelessness conversation sparked by film
It was a sobering event focused on exploring the ALICE threshold and getting the community to think holistically about the pressures on people–especially families–in Licking County.
The event opened with a budget simulation during which United Way community impact director Corey Stutes offered attendees a firsthand perspective on how to manage a household with a tight budget. The audience used “Smarties” candy as currency to support a family of four and had to be strategic about their expenses on housing, transportation, technology, healthcare, and food.
For example, if a participant wanted health insurance for their entire family, it would cost three Smarties. Participants found it difficult to make these choices with limited amounts of candy.
After a few moments, Stutes invited attendees to look into an envelope on their table. Inside was a real-world crisis–like a dead car battery or health emergency–that would force participants to make difficult choices, such as giving up one necessity, like food or healthcare, to pay for another expense.
Invited panelists helped attendees understand that the simulation is a reality for many in Licking County.
One enormous pressure for households is affordable housing.
Rental prices have increased in Licking County by 40% since 2020 according to Trina Woods, executive director of the Licking County Coalition for Housing.
“To say that we’ve seen some changes is to put it mildly,” Woods said.
211, the local resource directory and crisis hotline, has received 717 calls about housing assistance between Jan. 1 and Nov. 11 this year. Comparatively, 211 received just 657 calls in 2024.
Housing costs burn through income—making increases in rent, mortgage, or utilities unaffordable. For people seeking new housing, it can be especially hard.
Woods said that people don’t often factor all the costs that go into renting–including a deposit. For someone working at $17 an hour, it is difficult to save the money needed to do so.
“When we start looking at the homeless population,” Woods said, “we have to talk about the cost of housing.”
When housing costs rise, Alyssa Shepherd, development director of the Food Pantry Network of Licking County said, “Food is the first thing that people can flex.”
When prices go up, people will buy less food and skip meals. They may avoid food pantries because of stigma.
One key element of the ALICE paradigm is that households included in the data are working families. And in order to work, families need childcare.
Dana Moore, executive director of the West Licking County Family YMCA, said that access to childcare is a serious challenge for families–a difficulty she knows firsthand. Moore states that she used to drive two hours a day to access childcare for three years.
“You don’t have childcare, you can’t work,” Moore said, a reality that disproportionately affects women. 76% of women in a single-female-headed household with children fall below the ALICE threshold.
Ashley Washburn, executive director of Family Health Services of East Central Ohio, personalized the problems families face. Washburn, a single mother of two young children, told attendees that at the moment, she does not have health care for herself.
“So here I am now, the director of a nonprofit,” Washburn said, “but I sacrificed my health insurance for my children to be able to have health insurance. It’s pretty sad that I’m out here promoting health care, but I’m actually living without health insurance.”
And she knows about health care needs.
“We saw in 2024, 1,904 individuals at our Newark location,” Washburn said. “32% of those individuals that walked through our door came to us without any health insurance. 35% had Medicaid and 33% had private insurance.”
At the moment, Washburn is not sure she will be funded next year.
Washburn said that it is “sad that we live in a country where health care has become a luxury.”
But there is some hope. The Food Pantry Network, for example, has expanded its reach and access to 6 days a week in 20 pantries across Licking County.
During the recent SNAP cuts, Shepherd said the stress was spread out across the system, but at the same time Licking County residents donated food and money.
Trina Woods said that she is hopeful because of what she is seeing in Licking County, that there are more conversations about how people are struggling as well as efforts to find solutions.
“We know that as a community, people care,” Woods said. “That’s why we see so many people here tonight.”
Brie Coleman writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.