- October 13, 2024
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Over a third of veterans living in Volusia and Flagler counties are living in financial hardship, according to findings from a report by United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties and United For ALICE.
United Way's latest ALICE in Focus: Veterans report found that more than 19,000 or 34% of veterans in the two-county area are considered ALICE — which stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed — households or live below the ALICE threshold. According to a press release by United Way, ALICE households earn more than the federal poverty level, but less than is needed due to the cost of living.
The number seems higher than what people would expect due to the number of resources that are available to veterans, said Amanda Lasecki, vice president of operations at United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties. She listed access to health care, home loans and the GI Bill, which covers college tuition.
The ALICE report found that over 54% of eligible ALICE veterans aren't receiving health insurance. Over 34% are not receiving Supplemental Security Income.
"One would think because they have access to those benefits, that they would actually have a higher standard of living, and would be less likely to fall into the ALICE population," Lasecki said. "So what I think was a surprising takeaway was just the amount of veterans that are not accessing those benefits."
Then, Lasecki said, it came down to digging deeper to understand the barriers that are preventing veterans from being the ALICE threshold.
"I think more people in every category are reaching out for help, and that would include veterans. As costs continue to escalate, it's just becoming more difficult for everyone."
Buck James, executive director for Halifax Urban Ministries
Access to affordable housing is one of the critical factors for veterans in ALICE households. The report found that 78% of ALICE veterans in Volusia and Flagler are rent-burdened, meaning they are spending more than one-third of their income on housing. A higher percentage — 82% — are cost-burdened, which mean they spend over 35% of their income on rent or mortgage, plus utilities, taxes and insurance. They are more likely to experience housing insecurity and are at a greater risk of becoming homeless, United Way reported.
With the increasing cost of rent, it's becoming more difficult for organizations like Halifax Urban Ministries to connect people with housing they can afford, said HUM Executive Director Buck James. HUM's free Barracks of Hope program provides transitional housing to veterans who have struggled with homelessness, addition and mental health.
"I think more people in every category are reaching out for help, and that would include veterans," James said. "As costs continue to escalate, it's just becoming more difficult for everyone."
In addition to Barracks of Hope, HUM also has homeless prevention programs to help people with one-time emergency cost situations and it operates several food local pantries to assist with groceries. That the number of veterans who are ALICE is over 19,000 is not a big surprise because of the significant number of ALICE households overall, James said.
"One would think because they have access to those benefits, that they would actually have a higher standard of living, and would be less likely to fall into the ALICE population."
Amanda Lasecki, vice president of operations at United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties
In the 2020 ALICE reports, 33% of Volusia County households were ALICE. In Flagler County, it was 30%.
"There are many people in Volusia County who are struggling, that are living paycheck to paycheck," James said. "I think with recent economic issues it's probably even getting worse."
Lasecki echoed James' observations. The availability of affordable housing is very low, and housing for Section 8, the federal government's housing choice voucher program, is just "non-existent," Lasecki said.
One solution is to help veterans get higher-paying jobs to be able to afford the rising cost of rent. Initiatives such as that of CareerSource's Veterans Services are a great resource, Lasecki said.
CareerSource provides employment training to dislocated workers and adults who need skillsets to compete in the market, and veterans and their eligible spouses have first priority, said Robin King, president and CEO of CareerSource Flagler Volusia. CareerSource has five veteran representatives that work with specifically with disabled veterans or veterans who are dealing with extra barriers, such as homelessness. In addition, she said all of her staff are always updated with the latest information to make sure they can better help whoever walks in seeking assistance.
And as someone who is on the board of United Way, the statistics surrounding veterans in ALICE households are not surprising.
"It helps validate to potential funders and others saying we have a need," King said. "These are men and women who served our country and we need to be working with them."
Helping veterans access and understand their GI bill benefits can also make an impact. The ALICE report found only 22% of ALICE veterans have an associate or bachelor's degree. Lasecki said that was one of the most surprising findings of the report, and explained that United Way discovered many veterans are going straight into the workforce after being discharged from the military.
"It helps validate to potential funders and others saying we have a need. These are men and women who served our country and we need to be working with them."
Robin King, president and CEO of CareerSource Flagler Volusia
"They're raising their families," Lasecki said. "A lot of times at this point in their life, they're a little bit older than a traditional 18 year old who's going straight into college, and just along the lines of others that work full time, it's hard to go to school as well and balance those."
But a bachelor's degree isn't always the answer, King said. Education certainly is, but in Volusia County, one of the highest paying labor sectors is manufacturing.
"It has such a career pathway that — like all jobs, occupations, or careers — you start off at entry level, but we have more companies that are doing apprenticeship programs ... and building their own pipeline of talent," King said. "I think more businesses are going to start doing that because there aren't a lot of other people to attract. So you need to build your own."
When separating from active duty, veterans typically face specific challenges that the general population may not, Lasecki said. She listed mental health and difficulty accessing services as examples.
"Some of the services are very paperwork-oriented, where it's going to require a lot of documentation and a lot of paperwork," she said. "Although they're entitled to those benefits, they may not be able to actually get all of their benefits just because of the burden that's required to access those benefits."
That may be the case for the number of veterans who are not receiving SSI, and so raising awareness of these challenges and encouraging programs to assist veterans in this regard "is going to have a huge return on investment," Lasecki said.
Spreading the word about the resources available is a challenge, King said. Sometimes, they run into the issue that some veterans may not trust government-funded programs, she added, and that's where CareerSource's vet reps can help. One of the first questions her team asks people who walk into the center is if they are veterans.
"I'm very proud of my team that they come from this background," she said. "They understand who they're working with and they just are always coming up with innovative ideas on how to better serve our community."
HUM tries to do its part to help. James said they work with veterans to ensure they are receiving all of the benefits for which they are eligible. It's an issue that's important to address, he added.
"Certainly when we're talking about serving our veterans, we should do everything that we can to serve those who had done so much to serve us," James said. "And so we're committed to that and I know so many people in our community are."
