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Charities Use ALICE Report To Help Prevent Homelessness

A study conducted by eighteen states, the "ALICE" Report, is helping working individuals in Alachua County prevent homelessness.

ALICE stands for asset limited, income constrained, employed. United Way handles the data in Alachua County and, according to the latest ALICE report, 50 percent of Alachua families qualify. From the study, United Way created a model household survival budget that indicates a single adult needs to make $10.49 per hour to get by.

"They're literally living paycheck to paycheck and in some communities, they're not even living paycheck to paycheck," said Mona Gil de Gibaja, the president of United Way of North Central Florida.

United Way refers people to local Catholic Charities, where they can find food, toiletries and other basic necessities.

"It isn't easy because you can't say yes to everybody. There's just not that kind of funding, you know," said John Barli, Catholic Charities Regional Director. "Thanks to United Way, thanks to a lot of private donors and the diocese of Saint Augustine, which partially funds this as well, we are able to say yes to a lot of people. But you can't say yes to everybody."

Sophia is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.