(The Center Square) — United Way released its ALICE report, which shows 22% of Caddo Parish households and 23% of Shreveport households are in poverty.
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and makes up 32% of Shreveport households and 31% of Caddo parish households.
“ALICE families are forced to make impossible choices every day. ‘So, do I pay my electricity bill, or do I buy healthier foods for my family?’ … Each day brings a new impossible decision, a new weight to lay on the shoulders of these already burdened and stressed families,” said United Way President LaToria Thomas.
These ALICE households sit right above the poverty level and struggle to make ends meet, according to Thomas.
Area-specific stats show 22% of Caddo Parish is in poverty, and 31% are considered ALICE households. Shreveport showed 23% of households are in poverty, with 32% considered ALICE households.
While Caddo Parish and the city of Shreveport reported 53%-55% of households in poverty or considered ALICE households, Bossier falls at the lowest in Northwest Louisiana with only 40%.
“I believe Bossier Parish was in the top five as far as a thriving community,” said Thomas.
According to these reports, the demographics of households most likely to experience financial hardship and be classified as ALICE show that 66% are African American, 78% are under 25 years old, and 76% are single parents (men or women) with children.
When specifically looking at Shreveport, the 71101 area has 81% of households struggling— the highest in the city, and the lowest area is 71115 with 37%.
“In order for us to talk about where we are going, we need to know where we are and what we’re working with,” said Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor. “The concern that we have when we talk about 55% of our population is what are we doing to go and increase their level of capacity.”
Stats for Louisiana as a whole showed that 19% of the population is in poverty, with 30% of the population working but not making enough money. That 30% of the population are classified as ALICE households.
Around 50% of households in the state cannot afford basic living necessities.
“They’re not living, they are surviving,” said Taylor.
