LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — Nearly 68% of Michigan residents are struggling to afford at least one basic need, according to a new analysis from the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality. The center’s Family Economic Well-Being Index measures financial pressure in four areas: housing, food, hea lth care and child care according to WILX. The Michigan figure is 68%, matching the rate reported for Indiana and several other states. Nationally, the Georgetown analysis found that 70% of Americans face at least one economic burden. The report also found that more than one-third of Michigan residents are dealing with multiple basic-cost pressures at the same time. The findings are based primarily on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, along with data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies. Unlike traditional poverty measures, the Georgetown index looks beyond whether a household falls below the official poverty line. It also measures people who may be getting by but have little financial room to absorb higher costs. Across Michigan, the report found that 31% of residents face a food cost burden, 26% face a housing burden, 39% face a health care burden and 20% face a child care burden. Georgetown officials say those pressures can extend into the middle class, particularly when households are dealing with more than one major expense at the same time. Lelaine Bigelow, executive director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, said the research was intended to capture financial pressures that traditional economic measurements may not fully show. “For a long time, we have tended to think of affordability as a problem for people with the lowest incomes, but increasingly we are hearing stories from people at all income levels who are feeling squeezed by the cost of everyday essentials,” Bigelow said. Michigan residents interviewed for the report described seeing those pressures in their own families and communities. Kelly McCormick said he remembers a time when a minimum-wage job could cover basic expenses more easily than it does today. “When I was young, we could have a minimum wage job, rent an apartment… and $500 could buy you a used car that you could drive to Florida and back,” McCormick said. McCormick said he has seen the difference while helping his 27-year-old son look for a home. He said homes in the roughly $300,000 range could require major repairs, including problems with roofs and basements. McCormick ultimately decided to help build a home for his son. “You know, it’s the only way that he’s going to be able to afford to get on his feet and get his life going,” McCormick said. He also said the monthly payments his son was considering were more than twice what McCormick paid for his own home about 30 years ago. Rhonda and Tom Ash said they see similar financial pressures through their church’s outreach efforts. The couple said some people who need assistance are hesitant to ask for help because they fear being judged. “Sometimes they’re afraid to ask for it because they’ll be looked down upon or chastised for some reason or another,” the Ashes said. “The need is out there.” The couple said helping neighbors with practical needs can make a difference, whether that means cutting someone’s grass or making repairs around a home. “There’s so many people out there that need something,” they said. The Georgetown analysis also found that financial pressures frequently overlap. Nationally, about one in six people experience three or more economic burdens simultaneously, while more than one in five experience two or more. Children experience some of the highest levels of overlapping economic burdens. Georgetown’s analysis found that 81% of children nationwide experience at least one burden, while 25% experience three or more. Renters also face higher levels of financial pressure than homeowners, according to the report. The Michigan findings come as residents continue to contend with the cost of housing, health care, food and child care — expenses that can consume a significant share of household income even for people who are working. McCormick said the financial pressures are particularly difficult for working-class families. “The current state of affairs, it’s definitely not for the working class person,” McCormick said. The Georgetown report does not measure whether individual households are officially considered poor. Instead, it is designed to show how much financial pressure families face when paying for necessities. For Michigan residents, the report paints a picture of affordability challenges that reach beyond the lowest-income households and into families that may be working but still struggling to cover essential expenses. The post Food, Housing, Health Care and Child Care Costs Squeeze Michigan Families appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less